The Royal Mint (www.royalmint.com) is proud to announce the release of a commemorative Britannia silver bullion coin for 2012.
Since her first appearance on English coins in the seventeenth-century, Britannia has grown to become a powerful emblem, personifying the spirit of Great Britain. Designed by Philip Nathan, this celebration coin has been struck with his classic 1987 image of the powerful maiden to mark the 25th anniversary of Britannia bullion coins.
Commenting on the silver bullion coin, Dr Kevin Clancy, Director of the Royal Mint Museum said: "Philip Nathan’s design captures Britannia in her full splendor and is itself a triumph of numismatic art. It draws its inspiration from a strongly maritime approach, Britannia windswept on a cliff-top, the very essence of authority and elegance. In such a momentous year for Britain it is entirely fitting for the coinage to be graced with an acknowledged masterpiece."
Philip Nathan portrays Britannia as a standing figure, depicting her in a classical, flowing gown, armed with her trident and shield and wearing a Corinthian helmet. He succeeded in creating an instantly recognizable female personification of the British Isles. Philip Nathan has designed a number of other coins for the Royal Mint, including a portrait to mark the late Queen Mother’s 80th birthday, an official coin design for Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip’s Golden Wedding anniversary.
Britannia’s first appearance on English coinage was on copper coins issued during the reign of Charles II. With the constitutional unification of England with Scotland in 1707 and then with Ireland in 1800, Britannia became an increasingly important symbol, her image becoming synonymous with national pride, unification and celebration. The 2012 coin specifications include the denomination of £2, alloy composition of .958 fine Britannia silver, weight of 32.45 grams and a diameter of 40.00 millimeters.
The release of the 2012 coin comes at a particularly appropriate time, as the UK prepares to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 2012 Britannia Silver Bullion coin is priced at £59.99 and is available from from the Royal Mint’s website at www.royalmint.com.
About UK Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has a history dating back over 1,000 years. By the late thirteenth century the organization was based in the Tower of London, and remained there for over 500 years. By 1812, the Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in Llantrisant, South Wales.
