Britannia (coin)


Britannia coins are British bullion coins issued by the Royal Mint in gold since 1987, in silver since 1997, and in platinum since 2018. The coin patterns feature various depictions of Britannia, a feminine personification of the United Kingdom.
Britannia gold coins contain one troy ounce of gold and have a face value of £100. Gold Britannias also are issued in fractional sizes of one-half, one-quarter, and one-tenth of a troy ounce and with face values of £50, £25, and £10 respectively. In 2013 two additional sizes were introduced, a five-ounce coin of face value £500, and a fractional size of one-twentieth of face value £5.
Britannia silver coins contain one troy ounce of silver and have a face value of £2. Silver Britannias also are issued in fractional sizes of one-half, one-quarter, and one-tenth of a troy ounce and with face values of £1, 50p, and 20p respectively. Like the gold coins in 2013 two additional sizes were introduced, a five-ounce coin of face value £10, and a fractional size of one-twentieth of face value 10p.

Gold Britannia

From 2013 the gold coins have a millesimal fineness of 0.9999. Until 2012 the gold coins have a millesimal fineness of 0.917 with the non-gold component being copper until 1989 and silver from 1990.
2013– Gold Britannia specifications
1987–2012 Gold Britannia specifications

Silver Britannia

Since 2013 the silver coins have been produced with a millesimal fineness of 0.999. They have a mass of 31.21 grams and diameter of 38.61 mm.
From 1997 to 2012 the silver coins had a millesimal fineness of 958. Total mass 32.45 grams, diameter 40.00 mm.
Silver Britannias have been released each year beginning in 1997, when a silver proof set was offered. In 1998 and in all subsequent even-numbered years the reverse design has depicted a standing Britannia figure. Beginning in 1999 and continuing in odd-numbered years, a series of alternate, non-repeating depictions of Britannia have replaced the standing figure on the reverse. Starting in 2013, the proof versions of the coin will feature a different design each year, while the bullion version of the coin will always feature the classic standing Britannia. While mintage was limited prior to 2013, in 2013 and after mintage of the bullion version of the coin is unlimited based on demand.
Some 2014 silver Britannia coins were struck with the incorrect obverse as there was a mix up during the manufacturing process with the 'Lunar' Year of the Horse coins from The Royal Mint, as both coins were to the same fineness and specification, and similar but not identical obverse sides. It is thought that there are around 17,000 examples with the mis-strike, which have been dubbed the 'Mule Britannia' These coins have fetched substantial premiums on online auction sites.

Silver Britannia mintages

The following table has the most recent numbers of coins minted by year.

Coin Designs

YearMetalFinishArtistDescriptionComments
1997Gold
Silver		ProofPhilip NathanBritannia riding horse-drawn chariot
1998Gold
Silver		Brilliant Uncirculated
Proof		Classic standing Britannia
1999Gold
Silver		Brilliant UncirculatedPhilip NathanBritannia riding horse-drawn chariotIn 1999, the silver Britannia repeated the Boudicca in chariot design used in 1997, but was only issued in the uncirculated bullion version, as opposed to 1997 when it was only issued in the proof version.
2000Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Classic standing Britannia
2001Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Philip NathanWith lion, vertical textThis year features a new design, Britannia is shown standing, accompanied by a lion, similar to the Una and the Lion reverse used on the very rare 1839 £5 gold coins.
2002Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Classic standing Britannia
2003Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Philip NathanBritannia wearing a helmet with waves in the background
2004Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Classic standing Britannia
2005Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Philip NathanSeated Britanniafeatures a seated figure of Britannia, similar to that used on halfpennies and farthings from 1672, which in turn reflects the original personification of Britannia on Roman coins of Hadrian.
2006Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Classic standing Britannia
2007Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Christopher Le BrunSeated Britannia with lionfeatures a seated figure of Britannia, with large shield bearing the Union Flag, with a lion at her feet, and what looks like the white cliffs of Dover and a sailing yacht in the background.
2008Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		John BergdahlWith large wavesThis year's Britannia has a new design featuring Britannia on the beach, with giant waves and a lighthouse in the background.
2009Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Philip NathanThe 2009 issue has reverted to the Chariot design last seen in 1999.
2010Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Suzie ZamitIn Corinthian-style helmetDesigner Suzie Zamit says: "Britannia is a really important British icon and I wanted to create a design that represents her as a symbol of British liberties and democracy. I felt it was important to portray Britannia as strong - almost Amazonian - and courageous, but not overly warlike, more peaceful and protective".
...
Britannia wears a Corinthian-style helmet, emphasising her warlike spirit and is accompanied by a lion to symbolise courage. However, Britannia's serene gaze and the presence of an olive branch, also portrays the goddess as a protective defender of peace and modern British liberty and values. Her eastward looking gaze alludes to Britain's role in the EU and its presence in Afghanistan.
2011Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		David MachIn front of large flagDavid Mach talks about his challenge to make Britannia a contemporary image and not just appear nationalistic: 'I worked out a design with as much movement as I could for a small surface area; movement that would encourage people to turn the coin and watch the light shift over the surface like I had done with half-crowns as a boy. My design acts as a lenticular image. The flag and Britannia appear to move reflecting a contemporary Britain; a changing Britain; a Britain which is culturally on the move but still with plenty of reasons to wave the flag.'
2012Gold
Silver		Bullion
Proof		Philip NathanClassic standing BritanniaIt draws its inspiration from a strongly maritime approach, Britannia windswept on a cliff-top, the very essence of authority and elegance.
2013Gold
Silver		ProofRobert HuntBritannia and the owlher head appears turned, symbolizing an interest in lands beyond her borders. She wears a Corinthian helmet and holds Neptune's trident to represent her claim as "ruler of the waves". An owl is present as a symbol of wisdom.
2014Gold
Silver		ProofJody ClarkBritannia with lion in front of globeI wanted to include a lion in this Britannia portrayal too because I had decided upon a very feminine and elegant looking Britannia, and I needed the strong presence of the lion to balance the design out. I didn't want it to be overly soft and flowing. I don't think a lion had featured for a while either so I knew I wanted to include one in mine.
...
Why did you place the globe in the background – what is it – what does it represent?
In my research I found that Britannia often sat on the globe in an imperial fashion. I didn't think that was a very modern concept. Instead, I decided to place it alongside her. I wanted to make the design appear as if Britannia is moving with the globe, and portray a sense of movement, with flowing elements like her dress. I thought it would be nice to have the contrast of static graphic elements too, like the globe. I found it a real balancing act getting the traditional aspects in whilst giving them a modern twist.
2015Gold
Silver		ProofAnthony DufortCorinth helmet and shieldAnthony looked back to Greek and Roman coins and statues to ensure authenticity while modelling her trident and Corinthian helmet.
2016Gold
Silver		ProofSuzie ZamitWarrior Britannia with lionSusie has brought her own perspective to Britannia, 'the warrior queen'.
"I knew it was important to make Britannia immediately recognisable but I also tried to think about how she could represent Britain in the twenty-first century. Britannia represents British liberty and democracy, especially potent in times of national insecurity, so I wanted to portray her as a strong figure, almost Amazonian, proud, patriotic and courageous. She is reminiscent of the goddess 'Athena,’ a warrior but in a protective, peace-keeping way.
"The shield, a symbol of protection and security, incorporates the Union Jack and I included the lion as national symbol of courage. Visually it is very strong, beautiful and watchful and also a symbol of protection. The inclusion of wind and sea reflect the more modern, forward thinking themes of renewable and green energy".
2017Gold
Silver		ProofLouis TamlynBritish isles forming body
30th anniversary design		Louis created the design as a first year student at Central Saint Martins college when the Royal Mint requested a 'contemporary interpretation' of Britannia. Louis states: Britannia used to be the name of Great Britain in Roman times and hasn't really been used enough as a visual feature. I think it is important to revive it as a visual feature of the Britannia design as it communicates notions of the history and identity of Britain; by showing Britannia and the island as one it changes our perception.
2018Gold
Silver		ProofDavid LawrenceIn helmet with sunburst behindWears traditional British flowers around her helmet.
Lawrence commented, "I wanted to create something with classical grace about it and a certain amount of gravitas: coins of the realm, especially when cast in valuable metals, are a serious business. I enrolled various family members to pose, bedecked with bedsheets and broomsticks for reference shots. It was then a matter of working through the compositions until some pleasing shapes could be resolved within the constriction of the coin’s roundel".
2019Gold
Silver		Proof
Brilliant Uncirculated		David LawrenceWith lion, thrusting tridentDavid said of his of design, "My initial thoughts were influence by the great engravers of the past. Their work has a classical grace and gravitas I was keen to recreate. After all, coins of the realm are a serious business. The lion had to be there somewhere, as did the shield and trident… many of the components were already decided in a way. The end result is an Anglicised version of ancient Rome".
2020Gold
Silver		Proof
Brilliant Uncirculated		James TottleBritannia in front of flag with lion on shieldJames Tottle said of his design, "I felt that a strong pose with a striking silhouette of Britannia in the foreground alongside the Union flag in the background would produce a well-balanced image; I also wanted to feature the lion so I worked it onto the shield. The image needed some movement and drama so I used crashing wave and a billowing dress to achieve this".