Britannia privy marks give collectors a way to distinguish special versions of Britain’s best-known bullion coin from the standard annual issue. A privy can be a tiny symbol, a repeated edge motif or an anniversary device added to mark a particular event, theme or market.
The best-known group is the Silver Britannia Lunar edge series issued from 2013 to 2020. There are also anniversary marks and newer market-specific releases. These different groups are regularly mixed together in listings, so knowing where the mark appears and why it was added is important.
This guide covers the principal Royal Mint-struck Britannia bullion privy groups documented up to October 2026. Privately applied countermarks, colour treatments and other post-mint alterations are not treated as official Royal Mint privy varieties.
What Is a Privy Mark?
The Royal Mint describes a privy mark as a small symbol or piece of lettering that differentiates a coin from otherwise similar examples and often commemorates an event or circumstance. It is different from the main coin design.
A privy is also different from a mintmark. A mintmark normally identifies where a coin was struck, while a privy normally records a theme, anniversary, source of metal or special issue. The Royal Mint’s bullion jargon guide explains this distinction.
Privy marks can appear on the reverse, obverse or outer edge treatment. Our guide to the obverse, reverse and edge of a coin explains the terminology used to describe each area.
Why Were Privy Marks Added to Britannias?
The standard Britannia bullion coin already has a recognised identity built around Philip Nathan’s standing Britannia. A small privy lets The Royal Mint create a distinct edition without replacing that central design.
Different Britannia privies have marked Lunar New Year animals, anniversaries, historic metal provenance and particular international markets. The mark creates another identification point for collectors, but it does not alter the coin’s stated precious-metal content.
The Silver Britannia Lunar Edge Privy Series
The most clearly defined Britannia privy set consists of eight one-ounce silver issues dated from 2013 to 2020. Each retains the standing Britannia reverse and carries a small repeating animal motif around the outer edge or rim treatment.
These coins should not be confused with The Royal Mint’s Shēngxiào Lunar Collection. The Shēngxiào coins use a full animal-themed reverse, while a Lunar privy Britannia keeps Britannia as the principal reverse design and adds the smaller animal mark.
2013 – Year of the Snake
The 2013 Snake was the first release in the modern Lunar edge privy sequence. It is a separate variety from the ordinary 2013 Silver Britannia even though the central Britannia design, one-ounce silver content and year are shared.
2014 – Year of the Horse
The Horse followed in 2014. Collectors should check the edge or rim detail carefully because the standard 2014 Britannia and the Horse privy share the same basic standing Britannia design.
2015 – Year of the Sheep
The 2015 issue is normally catalogued as the Year of the Sheep, although the small motif is sometimes described as ram horns. Both descriptions refer to the same Lunar privy year.
2016 – Year of the Monkey
The Monkey privy continued the sequence in 2016. The Royal Mint also produced a documented one-ounce gold Britannia with a Lunar Year of the Monkey edge, showing that the edged concept was not limited entirely to silver.
2017 – Year of the Rooster
The Rooster is the Lunar edge Britannia for 2017. This date needs extra care because 2017 also brought a separate anniversary-marked Britannia; the Rooster and anniversary versions are not the same coin.
2018 – Year of the Dog
The Dog privy was issued in 2018. It is distinct from the first Oriental Border Britannia of the same year, which uses an ornate border rather than a small animal privy.
2019 – Year of the Pig
The Pig privy is the 2019 member of the edge series. 156Bullion currently lists the 2019 Britannia Year of the Pig Privy 1 oz Silver Coin, allowing collectors to see how the special Britannia differs from the separate 2019 Lunar Year of the Pig coin with its full animal reverse.
2020 – Year of the Rat
The Rat completed the eight-coin Lunar edge run in 2020. There was no Ox privy Britannia continuation in 2021, so a supposed 2021 Lunar edge piece should not be accepted without particularly strong evidence.
The Complete Lunar Edge Sequence
In date order, the recognised sequence is Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig and Rat. A complete date set therefore contains eight different Silver Britannia privies from 2013 through 2020.
Availability differs between dates, but a low asking-stock level or an online seller’s description is not proof of rarity. Declared production, surviving supply, collector demand and condition all matter. Our guide to coin mintages explains why a small number alone does not guarantee value.
The 2017 Anniversary Britannia
In addition to the Rooster edge issue, The Royal Mint released a 2017 one-ounce Silver Britannia carrying an anniversary mark for 20 years of the silver series. The official specification records one troy ounce of 999 fine silver and a maximum mintage of 120,000.
This is an anniversary privy rather than part of the Lunar sequence. The Royal Mint’s 2017 archive page is the best reference when checking the design and specification.
Later Britannia Privy Issues
Britannia privies did not end completely with the 2020 Rat. Later specialist issues have used marks to identify historic silver or a release intended for a particular international market.
A 2025 SS Tilawa Britannia carries an anchor-based mark referring to the SS Tilawa and silver recovered from the shipwreck. This is a provenance-themed special issue, not a ninth Lunar edge coin.
Market-specific 2026 Britannias include international privies associated with Hong Kong, the Singapore Merlion and Japanese cherry blossom. A separate United States-market Britannia uses a Liberty Bell privy on a larger silver format. These releases form a newer group of regional or distributor editions rather than one continuous annual set.
The Royal Mint has also announced one-off anniversary features for year-dated 2027 Britannias. Silver versions carry a ‘30’ wave privy for the thirtieth anniversary of the Silver Britannia, while gold versions use a ‘40’ wave privy for forty years of the Gold Britannia. The numbered background texture is part of the anniversary treatment. Details can be checked against the current Royal Mint Britannia range.
Why a Current List Needs a Date
Unlike the closed 2013–2020 Lunar run, modern regional and anniversary privies can continue to appear. A list described as complete should therefore state when it was compiled and should separate a finished series from later standalone issues.
Oriental Border Britannias Are Not Lunar Privies
The Oriental Border Britannias issued from 2018 to 2020 use a decorative border inspired by Asian art and architecture. They are genuine special Britannia editions, but the border is a major design treatment rather than one of the small Lunar animal privies.
Collectors may reasonably display Oriental Border coins beside privy Britannias, but they should be catalogued as their own three-year series. Calling the border itself a Pig, Dog or Rat privy would be incorrect.
Security Features Are Not Privy Marks
Britannia bullion coins introduced a group of visual security features from 2021: a latent padlock-to-trident image, surface animation, micro-text and tincture lines on the shield. These are standard anti-counterfeiting elements, not commemorative privies.
The Royal Mint’s Britannia security guide shows how those features behave when the coin is rotated. They can assist examination, but no single visible feature should be used as the only authentication test.
Different Britannia Designs Are Not Automatically Privies
Proof and collector Britannias have used several interpretations of Britannia by different artists. A changed pose, background or finish can be an official design variation without being a privy-marked bullion coin.
The joint Britannia and Liberty design is another separate coin concept, not a small privy added to the ordinary standing Britannia. Our history of the Britannia coin gives the wider background to the series.
How to Identify a Britannia Privy
Start with the year. A Lunar edge privy should match one of the eight years and animals listed above. If the year and animal do not correspond, investigate before buying.
Next, inspect the correct part of the coin. On Lunar privy pieces, look closely at the outer edge or rim treatment rather than expecting a large animal reverse. For later standalone issues, compare the small device and its position with reliable images of that exact release.
Check the complete specification, not only the design. Confirm metal, fine weight, fineness, diameter, denomination and portrait for the stated year. A one-ounce modern Silver Britannia is normally struck in 999 fine silver, but larger specialist issues have different dimensions and weights.
Packaging, labels and grading holders can help identify provenance, but they are not substitutes for the coin itself. A genuine-looking label can be copied or paired with the wrong item.
Condition and Pre-Owned Privy Britannias
Privy Britannias frequently return to the secondary market. Silver examples can show milk spots, toning, scratches, fingerprints or contact marks, especially when they have been removed from tubes or capsules.
These cosmetic changes do not alter the stated silver content, but they can affect collector appeal. Read our pre-owned silver coin condition guide before comparing examples.
Authentication
A privy mark should never be treated as proof of authenticity. Counterfeiters can copy a visible symbol, so the complete coin must be assessed against the correct specification.
Professional checks may combine design examination, weight, dimensions, magnetic behaviour and suitable precious-metal testing equipment. Our article on XRF testing for gold and silver explains what elemental analysis can identify and why it works best alongside other verification methods.
Collecting Britannia Privies
Some collectors concentrate on the closed eight-coin Lunar set. Others add the 2017 anniversary issue, Oriental Border series and modern international privies as separate groups. Keeping these categories distinct makes a collection easier to understand and document.
When recording a coin, note the year, metal, weight, privy description, condition, packaging and where it was obtained. Clear records become particularly useful when similar standard and privy versions exist for the same date.
Britannia Privy Coins at 156Bullion
156Bullion stocks a changing selection of Silver Britannias, including standard, pre-owned and special-edition releases. Browse the current silver collection for available pieces.
Every qualifying precious-metal product sold by 156Bullion is professionally authenticated before dispatch using appropriate product-specific checks and professional testing equipment.
The Key Points
The principal Silver Britannia Lunar edge set runs from the 2013 Snake to the 2020 Rat and contains eight privy designs. The 2017 anniversary mark is a separate issue, while Oriental Borders, security features and alternative Britannia artwork should not be mislabelled as Lunar privies.
Later SS Tilawa, international-market and announced 2027 anniversary editions show that Britannia privy collecting continues beyond the original Lunar sequence. Always verify the exact year, format and source because new standalone releases do not necessarily form one continuous series.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax or legal advice.