Online bullion transactions reached record levels in the first quarter of the financial year, figures from The Royal Mint show.
Insights from royalmint.com reveal exceptional investor activity across all precious metals during Q1 2025 – up 55% year-on-year – as gold's rally prompted broadened interest in silver and platinum.
Gold set five new all-time highs in GBP, peaking above £2,500 in April, driving unprecedented engagement from UK investors. Online bullion coin sales (gold, silver and platinum) achieved the second-highest levels on record, with revenue remaining robust at 115% above the same period last year, despite a natural 17% decline from the record-setting Q4 tax year-end.
The quarter also revealed a record number of customers selling precious metals back from The Royal Mint's vault across all three precious metals. The value of gold coins sold reached an all-time high, increasing 75% quarter-on-quarter and 55% year-on-year.
One standout transaction saw a customer purchase gold coins in October 2024 and sell in June 2025 for a £70,000 Capital Gains Tax free profit. Despite record sell-back activity, gold coin purchases still outweighed sales by a 6:1 ratio, demonstrating continued demand for the precious metal.
The quarter showcased remarkable growth in alternative precious metals, with silver breaking through £27 per ounce in June for the first time since 2011. Comparing Q1 2025 with the same period last year, silver sales increased 51% while platinum sales rose 188%.
The Royal Mint's VAT-free DigiGold range experienced unprecedented demand across all metals, with the most dramatic growth in silver and platinum. Digital Gold sales rose 103% year-on-year, while Digital Platinum sales soared 798% and Digital Silver sales rocketed 1,158% compared to Q1 2024.
Stuart O'Reilly, Market Insights Manager at The Royal Mint, said:
“This quarter demonstrated a remarkable evolution in UK precious metals investing. We're seeing strategic behaviour from investors to rebalance portfolios and rotating into silver and platinum.
“The fact that silver and platinum activity has surged alongside gold's rally shows UK investors are becoming increasingly aware of the value of other precious metals, with silver and platinum often following gold's lead during major rallies.”
Despite gold's modest pullback from April highs, underlying demand drivers remain robust. The Royal Mint's vault operations experienced exceptional activity during the quarter, taking delivery of substantial quantities of bullion bars including 400oz gold bars and 1,000oz silver bars to meet record customer demand, while simultaneously processing the highest levels of customer sellbacks on record.
