Strength and Serenity
Since its introduction in 1997, the silver Britannia £2 coin has become one of our most popular coins. The largest and purest legal tender coin of the UK, it is produced in .958 Britannia silver, an alloy comprising 95.8% silver with the rest copper, and contains a full ounce of fine silver making it the perfect coin for collectors and also for those looking for a special gift.
For the Britannia family of 2010, a new serene portrait has been created by Suzie Zamit who explains: I wanted to portray Britannia as strong (almost Amazonian) and courageous looking, but not overly warlike; more peaceful and protective. I have given her a Corinthian-style helmet and incorporated a lion on the design: the lion being the national symbol of courage - I wanted to emphasize the strong and watchful connotations - and this also links in with Greek and Roman coinage which display many animals.
Making a very patriotic gift, the Britannia £2 coin in its attractive gift box would make an ideal memento of a special family occasion due in 2010.
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Britannia on the Coinage
It was the Romans who, in recording their invasion and colonisation of the mysterious island lying beyond Oceanus, a country which they believed full of silver, first portrayed Britannia on their coins. Much later Britannia was to become a fitting symbol to grace the reverse of the copper coins of Charles II when, in direct allusion to the then war with the Dutch, her image symbolised her sovereignty of the seas. Universally recognised as the personification of Britain, she has graced the coins of every British monarch since. On the coinage of the present Queen, she featured on every pre-decimal penny and following decimalisation was chosen to appear on the 50p coin. She was chosen to grace the new gold coinage introduced in 1987, the coins of highest denomination in the realm, and on the silver bullion coins introduced in 1997.
Britannia Silver
The Britannia £2 coin has been struck in Britannia silver, an alloy of silver containing 95.8% silver and the rest of copper. The Britannia standard of silver was introduced as part of the recoinage of William III in 1696 in an attempt to limit the clipping and melting of sterling silver coinage, it being reasoned that there would be less incentive to melt sterling silver when a higher standard was used for ‘wrought plate’. In 1697 Britannia silver became the obligatory standard for items of plate’ and the lion passant guardant hallmark was replaced with ‘the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia’. Sterling silver was approved again for use by silversmiths in 1720 with Britannia silver remaining optional.