(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) The British Royal Mint reported record gold and silver bullion sales in the first quarter of this year, reflecting strong demand for physical gold in the UK.
In a statement, the Royal Mint said that capital gains tax-exempt gold bullion sales increased 94 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, silver bullion sales soared by 1,000 percent in the same period.
In total, Royal Mint transaction volumes were up 130 percent year-on-year in Q1.
During the 2025/2026 fiscal year (April-March), the Royal Mint reported a 49 percent increase in the number of customers buying and selling bullion via RoyalMint.com. Around 60 percent of those people were first-time customers at the mint.
According to a Royal Mint spokesperson, the number of new customers set an all-time high in the fourth quarter.
Royal Mint officials called silver “the standout metal” in the first quarter. Investors poured into silver, taking advantage of the bull market to diversify their portfolios.
A pair of squeezes pushed the price of silver to a record high of over $100 an ounce in early January.
Some investors saw the skyrocketing silver price as an opportunity to take profits. The Royal Mint said the value of silver buybacks rose 3,300 percent over the same period last year.
Even with a sharp rise in sales, Royal Mint officials described investor sentiment toward silver as “firmly bullish” despite increased volatility in the precious metals sector.
“Customers purchased two ounces of silver for every ounce sold back, signaling strong conviction in the metal’s longer-term trajectory.”
Royal Mint private wealth consultant Stuart O’Reilly said the strong sales over the last financial year signal “a fundamental shift in how investors are thinking about their portfolios.”
“Precious metals are increasingly being seen as an essential hedge against inflation and potential stock market volatility, and that conviction is driving record numbers of new and existing customers to The Royal Mint.”
O’Reilly said that while momentum in the precious metals sector has slowed due to impacts stemming from the U.S.-Iran conflict, recent downward price action hasn’t significantly impacted investor sentiment.
“While the recent retracement in prices appears to be a result of short-term interest rate expectations, our customers are taking a longer-term view. They’re diversifying into precious metals as a hedge against inflation and a potential stock market correction, and many are doing so in a tax-efficient way through CGT-exempt UK bullion coins.”
Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.
