Robin Hood Silver

The Royal Mint's Robin Hood: British Folklore on Bullion Silver

The Robin Hood coin is part of The Royal Mint's Myths and Legends collection, a series celebrating British folklore through bullion and proof coinage. Designed by Jody Clark, the engraver responsible for the current Queen Elizabeth II coinage portrait, the Robin Hood sub-series comprises three coins: Robin Hood (2021), Maid Marian (2022), and Little John (2022). The silver versions are available in 1oz and 10oz formats.

As UK legal tender, the silver Robin Hood coins carry face values of GBP 2 (1oz) and GBP 10 (10oz). The purity is .9999 fine silver, matching the Silver Maple Leaf specification and exceeding the .999 standard used by most silver bullion coins. For UK buyers, the legal tender status means these coins are CGT-exempt, a benefit shared with the Silver Britannia but not available on coins from foreign mints.

The 10oz silver format is a distinctive product in the Royal Mint's range. At 89 mm diameter and 6 mm thick, it is a substantial physical piece that few sovereign mints produce in bullion form. The larger format offers a lower premium per ounce than the 1oz coin, making it a practical choice for buyers who want Royal Mint silver with CGT exemption at reduced per-ounce cost.

Robin Hood Silver Coin Specifications

The Three Robin Hood Designs

• Robin Hood (2021): Depicts Robin Hood perched on a tree branch in Sherwood Forest, bow drawn. The figure is framed by dense oak foliage. Fourth overall design in the Myths and Legends series.
• Maid Marian (2022): Shows Maid Marian standing among the trees, bow and quiver of arrows on her back, portrayed as an active warrior and leading figure among the Merry Men.
• Little John (2022): Little John standing tall among the trees, grasping his iconic quarterstaff. The final coin in the Robin Hood chapter.

The 2021-2022 bullion issues carry Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. The 2024 re-releases introduced Martin Jennings' portrait of King Charles III. The micro-dot table texture on the gold version serves as a security feature; the silver versions rely on the .9999 purity, Royal Mint striking quality, and milled edge for authentication.

Robin Hood Silver Coin Tax Treatment

The Robin Hood coins are UK legal tender, which gives them specific advantages in the British tax system that do not apply in other jurisdictions.

United Kingdom

Silver coins carry 20% VAT in the UK, and the Robin Hood silver coins are no exception. The margin scheme may reduce the effective VAT on pre-owned silver coins purchased from qualifying dealers to roughly 5-8%. The key tax advantage of the Robin Hood silver coin is CGT exemption. As UK legal tender, any capital gain on disposal is exempt from capital gains tax. This is the same exemption that applies to the 1oz Silver Britannia. For UK buyers holding silver as a long-term investment, the CGT exemption can be more valuable than the upfront VAT cost, particularly if silver prices appreciate significantly. Gold Robin Hood coins are both VAT-free and CGT-exempt.

United States

The Robin Hood coin has no special US tax status. As a .9999 fine silver coin from a sovereign mint, it qualifies for self-directed IRA inclusion under IRS Section 408(m). Sales tax varies by state, with approximately 35 states exempting bullion. The CGT exemption that applies in the UK does not transfer to US taxpayers.

European Union

Silver coins are subject to the local standard VAT rate across EU member states. The Royal Mint's gold coins appear on the annual EU investment gold exemption list. The 10oz silver coin is particularly popular in European markets where the VAT burden on silver makes larger-denomination pieces more cost-effective on a per-ounce basis.

Canada

Silver coins refined to at least 99.9% purity are exempt from GST/HST. The .9999 purity of the Robin Hood silver coins exceeds this threshold.

Australia

Investment-grade silver coins from a recognised sovereign mint at 99.9% or higher purity are GST-free. The Robin Hood silver coins qualify under these criteria.

Myths, Legends, and Sherwood Forest

The Robin Hood legend dates back roughly 800 years in English folklore. The earliest known literary reference appears in William Langland's Piers Plowman (c. 1377), though oral traditions of the outlaw of Sherwood Forest likely predate this by decades or more. The Royal Mint's Myths and Legends series draws on this deep well of British cultural history, following an Arthurian chapter (featuring Morgan le Fay and other characters) with the Robin Hood sub-series.

The Robin Hood design (2021) was the series' fourth overall release and the first in its second chapter. Jody Clark's composition places Robin Hood on a tree branch in Sherwood Forest, bow drawn and ready to loose an arrow. The dense oak foliage framing the figure roots the design in the specific geography of Nottinghamshire, where the real Sherwood Forest survives as an ancient woodland. The Major Oak, estimated at 800 to 1,000 years old, is traditionally said to have sheltered Robin Hood's band.

Maid Marian's 2022 design was notable for its portrayal of the character as an active warrior rather than a passive figure. The Royal Mint described her as "a leading figure amongst the Merry Men," reflecting contemporary reinterpretations of the legend that emphasise Marian's agency. Little John's design completed the trio with his iconic quarterstaff, the weapon associated with his famous bridge fight with Robin Hood in the earliest ballads.

The 2024 re-releases added new formats: 2oz silver proofs with extremely limited mintages (510 for Robin Hood, 506 for Maid Marian) and GBP 5 BU cupro-nickel collector coins. These 2024 editions carry King Charles III's portrait by Martin Jennings, providing a clear visual distinction from the original Queen Elizabeth II obverse issues. The transition between monarchs across a single coin series adds historical interest for collectors tracking the changeover in British coinage.

Robin Hood vs Britannia, Queen's Beasts, and Tudor Beasts

The Robin Hood silver coin competes within The Royal Mint's own product ecosystem, where several themed series offer similar specifications and tax treatment.

The Silver Britannia is the Royal Mint's flagship silver bullion coin with annual design variations and unlimited mintage. It offers the same CGT exemption and .999 purity (upgraded to .9999 in recent years). The Britannia has significantly higher secondary market liquidity: dealers buy and sell Britannias in volume daily, with tight spreads. Robin Hood coins trade in lower volumes with potentially wider spreads. For buyers prioritising ease of resale, the Britannia is the more practical choice. For buyers who value themed designs with specific cultural resonance, Robin Hood offers something the Britannia's allegorical figure does not.

The Queen's Beasts series (2016-2021) followed a similar model: 10 heraldic designs in bullion and proof formats across gold and silver, all UK legal tender with CGT exemption. The series is now complete, meaning secondary market supply is fixed. The Tudor Beasts series (launched 2023) is the current successor, using the same format (1oz gold, 1oz silver, 10oz silver) with heraldic designs by David Lawrence. Buyers choosing between these themed collections are selecting aesthetic preference: folklore (Robin Hood), heraldry (Tudor Beasts/Queen's Beasts), or classical allegory (Britannia).

The Robin Hood 10oz silver coin at 89 mm diameter has few direct competitors from sovereign mints. The substantial physical size makes it a distinctive piece that double-serves as both an investment holding and a display item. The lower per-ounce premium compared to the 1oz version makes it an efficient way to acquire CGT-exempt Royal Mint silver in bulk.