Description
Aside from the reigning monarch, there is no face more commonly used on British coinage than that of Britannia. This symbol of the British people has been a part of British culture since the 1st century AD and has appeared on coinage from Britain for nearly 350 years dating back to the unification of the crowns.
The first use of Britannia on precious metals in Britain came during the unification of the crowns of England and Scotland. As the new United Kingdom took shape, Britannia was chosen as a symbol of that unified power on coins issued by the Royal Mint following the unification of the two crowns.
Today, Britannia famously features on the country’s gold and silver bullion coinage.