Britannia
The Britannia gold coin is British gold bullion produced by the Royal Mint since 1987. The Royal Mint is a governmental department responsible for the provision of UK coinage. Highly reputed for quality, this body produces coins for more than one hundred states worldwide.The one ounce Britannia coin has a face value of £100. The 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10 ounce coins stand at £50, £25, and £10. The 22 karat coins have a purity of 91.7 percent. Since 1997, the Royal Mint commenced the production of silver coins named Britannia Silver. Several design enhancements have been made in order to attract investors. For instance, the 2007 coins depict Britannia holding the Union Flag, together with a lion seated at her feet. The silver coins have a purity of 95.8 percent. Copper is the main element used in the production of the silver coins. They weigh a half, a quarter, and one tenth of an ounce. The one ounce coin has a diameter of 32.69 mm while the smallest one tenth silver coins are 16.5 mm in diameter.
Britannia has symbolized the island of Great Britain since the reign of Emperor Hadrian. The copper coins of Charles II were the first to depict Britannia in 1672. Her figure epitomizes liberty, democracy, and patriotism. The trident of Britannia symbolizes the maritime power of the country. The coin design has been modified seven times since the introduction of the coin. Since 1999, a series of non-repetitive and successive depictions of Britannia appear in even-numbered years. In 2007, the artist Christopher Le Brun presented a new design which incorporated coastal landscape and a lonely vessel sailing through the windy sea. The 2008 design by John Bergdahl features a portrait of Britannia which integrates the motifs of the helmet, the lighthouse, the shield, and the trident. The obverse side of the coin displays the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, produced by Ian Rank-Broadly.
