Robin Hood Platinum

The Robin Hood Platinum Coin from The Royal Mint

The Robin Hood platinum coin is part of The Royal Mint's Myths and Legends collection, a series celebrating British folklore through bullion and collector coins. The Robin Hood chapter, designed by Jody Clark (the same engraver responsible for the current Queen Elizabeth II coinage portrait), includes three designs: Robin Hood (2021), Maid Marian (2022), and Little John (2022). The platinum version of the 1 oz coin carries 999.5 fineness, matching the standard purity used across all major sovereign platinum coins.

As UK legal tender with a face value denominated in pounds sterling, the Robin Hood platinum coin qualifies for CGT exemption in the United Kingdom. This is a significant advantage for UK platinum investors, since the combination of 20% VAT on purchase and potential CGT on disposal makes physical platinum one of the more expensive metals to hold. The CGT exemption on the sale side partially offsets the purchase-side VAT burden, and the Platinum Britannia is the only other platinum coin offering the same UK tax benefit.

The original bullion versions were issued in 2021-2022, and 2024 saw re-releases in additional formats including 2 oz silver proofs with very limited mintages (approximately 510 for Robin Hood, 506 for Maid Marian). The 2024 coins transitioned from Jody Clark's Queen Elizabeth II obverse portrait to Martin Jennings' portrait of King Charles III. Production of the Robin Hood chapter is now complete, meaning available inventory represents the final production run.

Robin Hood as a figure dates back approximately 800 years in English literature, with the earliest known reference appearing in William Langland's Piers Plowman (c. 1377). Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, the legendary setting, is a real ancient woodland where the Major Oak, said to have sheltered Robin Hood, is estimated at 800 to 1,000 years old.

Robin Hood Platinum Coin Specifications

The Robin Hood Chapter

The Robin Hood design depicts the outlaw perched on a tree branch within dense oak foliage, bow drawn and ready to fire. Jody Clark's design work across all three coins creates a unified Sherwood Forest atmosphere, with each character framed by similar woodland settings. The portrayal of Maid Marian as an active warrior with her own bow and quiver reflects modern reinterpretation of the legend rather than the traditional damsel characterisation.

Robin Hood Platinum Tax and Legal Status

The Robin Hood coin's UK legal tender status provides tax benefits that most platinum coins cannot offer. This places it in a select group alongside the Platinum Britannia as one of only two platinum coin series carrying UK CGT exemption.

• United Kingdom: The platinum coin is subject to 20% VAT on purchase (no investment platinum exemption exists equivalent to the investment gold zero-rating). On disposal, the coin is CGT-exempt as UK legal tender. This exemption applies to both gold and silver versions as well. The CGT exemption is particularly valuable for platinum, where the 20% purchase VAT means buyers need significant price appreciation to break even, and avoiding a further 18-24% CGT charge on gains materially improves the net return.
• United States: No special US tax status. The coin's 999.5 purity exceeds the IRS 99.95% minimum for platinum IRA eligibility. As a sovereign-minted coin from a recognised government, it should qualify for IRA inclusion through approved custodians. State sales tax exemptions vary.
• European Union: Gold versions are VAT-exempt as investment gold under EU Council Directive 98/80/EC. The Royal Mint's gold coins appear on the EU annual exemption list. Platinum and silver versions are subject to local VAT rates, which range from 17% (Luxembourg) to 27% (Hungary).
• Canada: Platinum at 99.5% purity or above is GST/HST-exempt. The Robin Hood qualifies. Standard capital gains treatment applies.
• Australia: Platinum at 99% purity or above in coin form is GST-free. Capital gains tax applies with a 50% discount for holdings exceeding 12 months.
• Singapore: Platinum coins at 99% purity that are or were legal tender qualify as IPM, exempt from 9% GST. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, import duty, or capital gains tax.

The Myths and Legends Series from The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint launched the Myths and Legends collection to explore British folklore through bullion coinage, following a model of themed multi-coin sub-series that the Mint had successfully used with the Queen's Beasts (2016-2021) and subsequently the Tudor Beasts (2023 onward). The Robin Hood chapter is the second "chapter" in the Myths and Legends programme, following Arthurian legend designs featuring Morgan le Fay and Merlin.

Jody Clark, one of The Royal Mint's senior engravers, designed all three coins in the Robin Hood chapter. Clark is best known outside the numismatic world for creating the current Queen Elizabeth II coinage portrait used across the Commonwealth. Having the same artist design both the obverse portrait (on pre-2024 issues) and the reverse scenes creates an unusual artistic coherence within the Robin Hood sub-series.

The three-coin structure follows the Robin Hood legend through its principal characters. Robin Hood himself appeared first in 2021, followed by both Maid Marian and Little John in 2022. The 2024 re-releases added new formats (2 oz silver proofs, cupro-nickel collector coins) and updated the obverse to King Charles III, but no new characters were introduced. The Mint has indicated the Robin Hood chapter is complete.

The limited mintages of the 2024 proof versions (510 Robin Hood, 506 Maid Marian in 2 oz silver) are extremely low by Royal Mint standards, making these genuine rarities. Standard bullion mintage figures are not published by The Royal Mint for its bullion coins, though production is believed to be substantially larger than the proof editions.

Robin Hood Platinum vs Other Royal Mint Platinum

Within The Royal Mint's platinum range, the Robin Hood competes directly with the Platinum Britannia, the Mint's flagship platinum bullion coin produced annually since 2018. Both are UK legal tender, both carry CGT exemption, and both are struck at 999.5 fineness. The Britannia has wider recognition, higher production volumes, and more advanced security features including a latent image, surface animation, tincture lines, and micro-text. The Robin Hood offers a themed design with potential collector appeal. For UK buyers focused on the CGT exemption, the Britannia is the more liquid option; for those who also value the folklore element, Robin Hood is a legitimate alternative.

The Royal Arms platinum coin, also from The Royal Mint, shares the same CGT exemption and 999.5 purity. Its heraldic design by Timothy Noad has run for seven years (2019-2025, with 2025 announced as the design's final appearance). The Royal Arms occupies a more traditional, consistent space compared to Robin Hood's narrative approach.

Against international competitors, the Robin Hood's CGT exemption gives it a structural advantage for UK-based investors that the American Platinum Eagle, Platinum Maple Leaf, or Perth Mint Platinum Kangaroo cannot match in the UK. Non-UK buyers lose this benefit and would generally find better value in the more liquid standard offerings from major mints, where premiums are lower and dealer buyback networks are deeper.

The completed status of the Robin Hood chapter is a double-edged factor. On one hand, it means no further production will dilute existing inventory. On the other, it means no new annual releases to sustain ongoing market attention, and the secondary market will determine the coins' long-term premium trajectory without the marketing support that accompanies active production.