Latest news with #Llantrisant
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Should you buy gold coins from the Royal Mint to beat tax? HELEN KIRRANE visits its home in Wales
In a small town near Cardiff more than 7,000 coins fly off the press each day. The Royal Mint, in the Welsh town of Llantrisant, is behind a modern-day gold rush, as Britons buy coins to dodge capital gains tax and seek a safe haven from global turmoil. Last year, customers bought a record £750million worth of gold bullion coins from the Mint. There has been a 329 per cent jump in gold coin sales in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, indicating last year's gold coin sales record is likely to be smashed. Nestled on the edge of the Rhondda Valley, the red brick of the Royal Mint's brutalist architecture sticks out against the rolling green hills. When the Royal Mint was moved here from London's Tower Hill in 1968, Llantrisant was chosen as its new home, in part because of the vast open space the site offered. The town's population is around 15,000 and almost everyone who works at the Mint lives locally. During my visit to the Llantrisant HQ, Andy Dickey, director for precious metals at the Royal Mint, tells me: 'Tax rules can change, what won't go is the inflation-hedge aspect of gold. [It] has always generally performed well in times of uncertainty and instability.' A major draw is that bullion coins from the Mint are exempt from capital gains tax as they are classified as legal tender, while gold bars and coins bought outside of the Royal Mint are not. The gold price has soared 33 per cent this year, with conflicts, trade wars and other fears fuelling the surge. This has helped the Royal Mint make bumper profits from precious metals, with latest figures showing it is raking in £20million a year – a far more lucrative endeavour than any other arm of the business. Investors are turning to physical assets. While holding £100,000 worth of half ounce gold Britannia coins on a tray, it's easy to see why. Each of the half ounce coins is worth £1,290.81 at the time of writing and there are 77 per tray, worth £99,391.60 in total. There is also the weightier and more expensive 1oz version of the Britannia coin, which costs £2,549.41. But no coin will make it in or out of the Royal Mint's airport-style security. You must leave any coinage you have on you in a safe deposit box, and bags are scanned before entering and on leaving. The Royal Mint typically mints 300 gold bullion coins an hour, or 7,200 in a day. Around half these coins are shipped to trade partners in Asia, Europe and North America. It also recently invested in a Precious Metals Recover Facility, which opened in August 2024. Here the Royal Mint can extract up to half a ton of gold for every four tons of recycled RAM computer circuit boards it receives. A significant amount of the gold the Royal Mint sells comes via its buyback service where people can cash in on items at home. Most British customers buying bullion opt for either Britannia or Sovereigns, the Royal Mint's flagship offerings. These come in sizes ranging from 1/10 of an ounce to one ounce and cost between £244.70 for a single coin and £255,205 for a box of 100. Sovereign coins are 22k gold and Britannia coins are 24k gold. Stuart O'Reilly, market insights manager at the Royal Mint, says: 'Sovereigns are having a resurgence in popularity due to their unique weight and heritage and their more accessible price point. 'People are looking at smaller weights for a more affordable entry point into gold.' Due to surging interest, the Royal Mint says it is increasingly working with private banking intermediaries on behalf of clients. Andy Dickey says a typical customer now spends £2,000 on average with the Mint. But some ultra-high net worth gold bullion investors have £20million worth of gold held in the building's vaults. Core customers are men in their 60s but women now make up 25 per cent of the customer base, up from 10 per cent before 2020. And demand from Gen Z is also picking up, although these customers tend to buy fractional coins at a lower cost. The Royal Mint believes the gold rush will continue when it announces its sales figures later this month. Henk-Jan Rikkerink, global head of solutions and multi asset at Fidelity International, believes gold will continue to respond well to further geopolitical ruptures. He says: 'We're entering a phase where traditional safe havens like US assets can no longer shoulder global portfolios. Investors must actively rewire their allocations in line with shifts in geopolitics, inflation dynamics, and trade.' Gold investors should know that investment in gold bullion coins from the Royal Mint is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Buyers must also factor in delivery or secure storage costs. Some of the coins never leave the Royal Mint and instead go straight into its secure vault where those buying gold can store it. Around 35,000 customers currently store gold, silver or platinum in the Royal Mint vault, with individual holdings ranging from £20 to £20million. It costs between 1 to 2 per cent of the value per year, depending on product, and is charged quarterly. The Royal Mint also has a sustainable gold Exchange Traded Commodity which is listed on the stock market (ticker RMAU). This fund tracks the price of the metal by owning bullion, which is stashed in its vault. You can also purchase a fractional amount of gold bars held in the Royal Mint vault through digital gold.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Talbot Green police station attacker jailed for attempted murder
A man who tried to murder a police officer while armed with Molotov cocktails has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 Dighton, 28 from Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was wearing body armour when he carried out the attack outside Talbot Green police station in terror police said Dighton was interviewed by officers a year before the attack, but was believed not to be a injured several officers and admitted trying to murder a police officer with a knife and was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London. Due to the time Dighton spent on remand he will spend a minimum term of 21 years and 235 days before he can be considered for court heard he was also made subject of terrorist notification requirements for 30 Mark Lucraft KC said the crimes committed by Dighton "satisfies all the offences have terrorist connections.""You targeted the police as a keystone of government power," he added. Dighton arrived at Talbot Green police station in January armed with a hatchet, a pole and Molotov his weapons, he told PC Stephanie Fleming, who confronted him: "I'm fed up, I'm done."Dighton threw one Molotov cocktail at a police van, but it failed to ignite, so he poured petrol onto another and set it then used a long wooden pole to smash the van's was tasered and sprayed with Pava spray, but it had no effect. He attacked Sgt Richard Coleman in the station foyer, hitting him in the head with the pole, and then punched Det Con Joshua this point three police officers attempted to restrain Dighton, and he stabbed Det Con Jack Cotton in the leg, wounding represented himself in court at a previous hearing and admitted attempted murder with a knife, attempted arson, attacking two other police officers, and threatening a third - pleading guilty to a total of 10 officers were treated in hospital for their injuries. Ch Supt Stephen Jones, of South Wales Police, said the officers were doing "remarkably well", but said it has had a "profound impact" on their families."Ultimately officers are public servants, but they're also fathers, mothers, wives and husbands and sons and daughters, and the impact on their families has been really heartfelt," he said."We face these perils, and quite often unexpectedly", he said the officers had to respond to a "committed, lone individual who was exceptionally aggressive". At a previous court hearing Dighton told the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb: "Authority is not my problem - but the use of authority that I have seen since I was 15, that is my problem."Dighton was motivated by anti-government ideology, and when he was arrested he said: "I've been damned from birth."Police believe Dighton began planning his attack a month before the his home in Llantrisant was searched journals containing anti-immigrant ideologies and a return to "traditional" society were found. Dighton was already known to counter-terrorism police in Wales, he was interviewed by officers a year before the was referred to the Prevent, a counter extremism programme in January 2024, by his sister where officers carried out a three week "detailed assessment" of Nicholas Hearn said she had stated he was "vulnerable as he has gone missing previously and has attempted suicide."Det Supt Andrew Williams of Counter Terrorism Policing Wales said: "He was referred to us following concerns around his anti-immigration stance, his anti-Islam stance and his general racist views."He said Dighton was interviewed "at length" and "due-diligence checks" were carried out to make sure officers "knew about him and his history".He said Dighton "did not fit the criteria" to be included on the Prevent programme."There was no information at all from that assessment or from that referral that would give any indication whatsoever that Alexander Dighton would go on, a year later, to commit an attack of this nature," Det Supt Williams said he believed the initial assessment of Dighton was correct."I am very confident in the assessment and skills of those officers and support them completely in the decisions they undertook," he if he was satisfied Dighton was de-radicalised, or did not present a threat, Det Supt Williams said: "I am happy that's the case, yes." Dighton previously pleaded guilty to attempted arson and attempting to murder Det Con Jack Cotton. He also admitted assaulting Sgt Richard Coleman, threatening PC Stephanie Fleming, assaulting Det Con Joshua Emlyn, having an adapted wooden pole as a weapon, having a knife, having a hatchet, damaging a police van, and damaging a second police van.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Zog 50p created by Royal Mint to mark 15th anniversary
A new coin is set to be released celebrating the children's much-loved character 50p will be unveiled by the Royal Mint, in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, marking 15 years since the dragon was picture book was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel pair have previously had their work turned into a commemorative coin when a limited edition Gruffalo's Child 50p was released last year. Zog tells the story of an accident-prone dragon in school who learns to roar, fly and breathe were two books released in 2010 and 2012, with the first winning the Galaxy National Book coin will feature the orange Zog flying and joins The Royal Mint's childhood characters follows previous character coins including The Snowman and Paddington Royal Mint said these had become "treasured items" in said she "never imagined he would fly so far into people's imaginations".She added: "Seeing our determined dragon on a 50p piece would definitely earn him a golden star from Madam Dragon." Scheffler said it was an "incredible honour" to see his drawing "transformed onto a coin".Rebecca Morgan of The Royal Mint said it "continues our tradition of honouring beloved children's literature".The Zog 50p coin can be purchased on The Royal Mint website, starting at £15 with coloured versions available with a starting price of £25.
