A recent poll conducted by The Royal Mint shows increasing appetite among UK investors for alternative investments. Alternative investments are classed as financial assets that do not fall into the traditional categories such as stocks, shares and bonds - for example, hard assets like precious metals, including platinum and gold, and real estate.
Over half – some 58 per cent – of the poll’s 2,000 respondents said that they were currently holding at least one alternative investment in their portfolio and were planning to increase their exposure to this asset class this year. Of those who hadn’t previously invested in the asset class, 36 per cent said they would consider investing in alternative assets in the future.
The growing popularity of alternative investments among UK investors is being reflected in The Royal Mint’s own data, with a 17 per cent year-on-year uplift in first-time precious metals investors during the first half of 2023.
The 2024 30g platinum Panda
Platinum coin launches
Choice for those looking to invest in alternative assets such as platinum continues to expand with the inclusion of The Royal Mint’s 1 oz platinum bullion Seymour Unicorn coin in its Royal Tudor Beasts Collection 2024. The collection is based on the ten stone sculptures along the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace which represent the royal ancestry and union of the Tudor monarch Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. The 1 oz platinum bullion Seymour Unicorn coin is struck in .9995 fine platinum to The Royal Mint’s bullion standard, with a face value of £100. The coin’s reverse has a chain mail surface animation background texture providing additional security.
Meanwhile, The People's Bank of China has issued the 2024 set of its Precious Metal Commemorative Panda Coin series. Comprising 14 coins in total, the set includes two platinum coins for the third successive year. This year’s coins feature the theme ‘Love’s Transmission’ with a design that depicts a mother and baby panda.
The 2024 15g platinum Zodiac depicting the Chinese Year of the Dragon
Struck in 0.999 fine platinum, the 2024 platinum proof Pandas are available in two sizes - 30g and 3g. Both sizes are legal tender in China with face values of 1,000 Yuan and 100 Yuan respectively, as compared to the 30g and 3g 2024 gold Pandas, which have a face value of 500 Yuan and 50 Yuan respectively. Mintages are limited to 5,000 for the 30g platinum Panda and 30,000 for the 3g platinum Panda.
In addition, The People’s Bank of China has just launched a set of 12 precious metal commemorative coins for the Chinese Year of the Dragon 2024, including a 15g platinum coin. The set has been produced by Shenyang Mint, Shanghai Mint and Shenzhen Guobao Mint, with China Gold Coin Corporation serving as the general distributor.
The theme of the Chinese zodiac, representing 12 animal-related signs, is a culturally significant subject in China and has been depicted in various forms such as stamps, coins, and art. It is anticipated that the Chinese Year of the Dragon 2024 platinum coin will be the first in a new series; the last such series spanned the period between 1988 and 1999 during which a set of 12 one-ounce platinum Zodiac coins was produced, representing a different zodiac sign each year from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Rabbit.
Struck in 0.999 fine platinum, with a face value of 500 Yuan and a mintage limited to 10,000, the 15g platinum Chinese Year of the Dragon 2024 coin will be legal tender in China. The coin’s reverse carries a design of a traditional jade dragon in a paper-cut style, with a background of clouds symbolising good fortune. The jade dragon symbol dates back over 6,000 years and originates from China’s Red Mountain Culture, which played a significant role in the origin of Chinese civilisation and its early societal development.
