First minted in 2015, British Gold Year Of The Sheep coin is a continuation of the Shēngxiào Collection, which commenced in 2014 with the British Gold Year Of The Horse. The Shēngxiào Collection of coins is a way to honor the Chinese centuries-old Zodiac tradition. The coins produced in this series constitute the first Lunar coins that are legal tender in the UK.
The British Gold Year Of The Sheep bullion coin is a 100 sterling pound coin with a mass of 31.103 grams. It has a diameter of 38.61 millimeters and a thickness of 2.7 millimeters. The edge of this British bullion coin is milled. This 24-carat pure gold bullion lunar coin has fineness of 0.9999, which explains its 1 oz actual gold weight. The coin is legal tender in the UK.
The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II facing to the right, as captured in commonwealth coinage by British sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley. This explains the small inscription, “IRB” below the Queens neckline. The inscription, “ELIZABETH·II·D·G REG·FID·DEF·100·POUNDS·” runs clockwise around the edge of the coin starting and ending at the crown. The English engraver, Jody Clark, who works at the Royal Mint has been credited for the coin’s obverse. The reverse of the British Gold Year Of The Sheep showcases Wuon-Gean Ho’s design. It has two Swaledale Sheep engravements with the one on the left being bigger than the one on the right. Inscribed clockwise, the text, “YEAR OF THE SHEEP · 2015” runs clockwise above the sheep. The smaller size text, “1 OZ FINE GOLD 999.9” is inscribed in smaller font size below the other text.
The Royal Mint is the official and exclusive mint of the British Gold Year of the Sheep coin. Located in London, UK, it is owned by Her Majesty’s Government as a limited company. It was established more than a millennium ago in 886 AD. The uncirculated British Gold Year of the Sheep appeals considerably to collectors and investors, as it is on high demand and quite limited in supply. Trading in this gold bullion coin is not subject to VAT or the UK Capital Gains Tax.
