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The best places to sell investment gold in the UK are specialist bullion dealers who publish live buyback prices and pay 97–99% of spot for standard investment products. Scrap gold buyers, jewellers, and pawnbrokers are the wrong channel for Sovereigns, Britannias, and LBMA bars - they pay significantly less.
Where to sell: the main UK options
| Dealer | Postal | In person | Buyback rate (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BullionByPost | Yes | No | 97–99% | High volume, fast turnaround, online price lock |
| Royal Mint | Yes | Yes (Llantrisant only) | 97–98% | Well-known brand; slightly conservative pricing |
| Atkinsons Bullion | Yes | Yes (Birmingham) | 97–99% | Strong on pre-owned Sovereigns |
| Chards | Yes | Yes (Blackpool) | 97–99% | Long-established, good for all coin types |
| Sharps Pixley | Yes | Yes (London) | 98–99% | London walk-in, competitive on larger amounts |
| Hatton Garden Metals | Yes | Yes (London) | 97–98% | Convenient for London-based sellers |
| Physical Gold | Yes | No | 97–98% | Online dealer, postal only |
Buyback rates are indicative and fluctuate with market conditions. Check live prices before selling.
How to compare buyback prices
Dealers express buyback prices in two ways:
- As a percentage of spot - e.g. “We pay 99% of spot for Sovereigns.” This is the cleanest comparison.
- As an absolute price - e.g. “We pay £930 for a Full Sovereign.” You need to know the current spot price to evaluate this.
For an accurate comparison, check the same products across two or three dealers at the same time of day. Gold prices move continuously - comparing a price checked at 9am with one checked at 3pm on the same day is not meaningful.
BullionByPost
The UK’s highest-volume postal gold buyer. BullionByPost publishes live buyback prices updated throughout the trading day. Their process is fully online - you request a quote, lock a price if you wish, send by Royal Mail Special Delivery, and receive payment by bank transfer within 24–48 hours of verified receipt.
Best for: Most sellers with standard investment products (recent-year Sovereigns, Britannias, standard bars). Fast, reliable, competitive.
The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint’s Bullion Exchange accepts Sovereigns, Britannias, and Royal Mint bars by post. Prices are competitive, though slightly below BullionByPost’s rates in most direct comparisons - the advantage is brand familiarity for first-time sellers who find a known name reassuring.
Best for: Sellers who want the reassurance of a Crown institution. Slightly less competitive than specialist dealers on margin.
Atkinsons Bullion
Birmingham-based dealer with a large pre-owned inventory and a particularly strong appetite for older-date and pre-owned Sovereigns. Their Birmingham office also buys in person, which is useful for Midlands sellers who’d rather not post.
Best for: Pre-owned Sovereigns, older-date coins, sellers in the Midlands, in-person sellers.
Chards
Long-established Lancashire dealer. Chards buys most types of gold coin and bar, including less common items that larger volume dealers sometimes decline. Good for unusual dates, pre-1900 coins, or collections that include a mix of products.
Best for: Mixed collections, unusual items, in-person sellers in the North of England.
Sharps Pixley
London-based dealer with a walk-in service at their Mayfair office, and tends to be most competitive on larger transactions - typically above £10,000.
Best for: Larger sales (£10,000+), London-based walk-in sellers.
What not to do
Do not use scrap gold buyers for investment-grade gold. Services marketed as “we buy your gold” with prominent high-street or postal presence are typically scrap buyers. They pay 60–80% of melt value and are designed for jewellery, not investment coins. Selling a Sovereign to a scrap buyer loses approximately 20–30% of value compared to a specialist dealer.
Do not sell on eBay unless you understand the platform fees (13% on most jewellery and precious metal sales), PayPal disputes risk, and the logistics of insured posting for high-value items. For standard investment products, specialist dealers are faster, simpler, and usually comparable or better on net proceeds.
Do not sell to a jeweller unless they have specific bullion buying services. Most jewellers price to melt value and offer lower margins than specialist dealers.
Postal selling: step by step
- Check live buyback prices across two or three dealers
- Choose the highest offer and complete the online selling form (most dealers require your bank details upfront)
- Package your coins or bars securely in a padded envelope - not a box that could reveal its contents under X-ray
- Send by Royal Mail Special Delivery, insured for the full value
- The dealer confirms receipt and verification - typically within 24 hours
- Bank transfer payment follows, usually within 48 hours of verification
Tax on sale
Sovereigns and Britannias: No CGT on any gain. No HMRC reporting required.
Bars and foreign coins: CGT on gains above the £3,000 annual exempt amount (2026/27). Report via Self Assessment if total taxable gains exceed the allowance or total disposal proceeds exceed four times the allowance.
How people usually decide
Most sellers work with one or two dealers over time. BullionByPost handles the highest volume of retail postal sales in the UK and is the default starting point. Checking Atkinsons or Chards alongside BullionByPost usually yields a final comparison sufficient to find the best available price on any given day.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I receive payment? Most dealers pay within 24–48 hours of receiving and verifying your gold. The full timeline from posting to payment is typically 3–5 business days, depending on Royal Mail transit time.
What if the dealer disputes the weight or authenticity? Reputable dealers contact you before making any adjustment to the agreed price. If they suspect a problem with a coin or bar, they will typically hold it and discuss with you rather than unilaterally reducing payment. Keep the dealer’s email confirmation of your sale details.
Do dealers buy silver too? Yes. All the dealers listed above buy investment silver (Silver Britannias, bars, Maple Leafs). Buyback rates on silver are slightly lower relative to spot than gold, reflecting wider spreads in the silver market.