The 2026 Lion and Eagle 1oz Gold Coin is a one-ounce Royal Mint coin in 999.9 fine gold that brings together the British lion and the American eagle, with King Charles III on the obverse. It is UK legal tender with a £100 face value, exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents and VAT-exempt as investment gold.

The 2026 Lion and Eagle 1oz Gold Coin design

The 2026 coin is the third dated release in the Royal Mint’s Lion and Eagle bullion range and the first with a reverse by Jonathan Olliffe. The 2024 and 2025 coins carried a design by John M. Mercanti, so 2026 marks a change of artist as well as date.

Martin Jennings’ uncrowned portrait of King Charles III appears on the obverse.

Two nations on one coin

The lion has been a royal emblem in England since the twelfth century, and the bald eagle became the national bird of the United States when Congress adopted it for the Great Seal in 1782. Olliffe sets the two side by side as equals, a coin about the relationship between the two countries rather than either one alone.

2026 Lion and Eagle 1oz Gold Coin specifications

Why buy a 2026 Lion and Eagle 1oz Gold Coin?

The 2026 coin is the first Lion and Eagle with Olliffe’s reverse, which gives it a clear place in the series for anyone collecting each design.

It is also a full ounce of 24-carat gold with the tax treatment of UK legal tender, so it works just as well as an investment coin.

Why buy 1oz gold coins?

The one-ounce coin is the standard unit of the gold market. Because gold is priced per troy ounce, a 1oz coin’s metal value is simple to follow, and the larger size usually carries a lower premium per gram than fractional coins. Compared with a large bar, a holding of 1oz coins can still be sold a coin at a time, so you keep flexibility without paying fractional-coin premiums.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the 2026 Lion and Eagle?

Jonathan Olliffe designed the 2026 reverse. The earlier 2024 and 2025 coins carry a design by John M. Mercanti.

Is the Lion and Eagle a British coin?

Yes. It is struck by the Royal Mint with a £100 face value and King Charles III on the obverse, so it is UK legal tender.