2016-11-16 Wed

The Britannia .9999 fine gold and .999 fine silver bullion coins for 2017 were released on 11th November by the Royal Mint. 2017 will mark the 20th anniversary for the silver Britannia bullion coins with Philip Nathan’s design, and the 30th anniversary for the gold Britannia bullion coin.

Britannia was first introduced to British coinage in 1672 during the times of Charles II. She has been depicted on most coins till 2008. She was re introduced after a break on a definitive £2 coin last year.

In 1987, the United Kingdom introduced the first gold bullion coins to match the likes of Krugerrand, the Maple Leaf, the Gold Eagle, and the Gold Panda. Initially, the coin was made of 22 carat gold and the fineness was increased in 2013 to pure gold to compete in the bullion coin market. They were also available in 1/2-, 1/4-, and 1/10-ounce sizes. The face values were: £100 for the 1-ounce size, £50 for the 1/2-ounce, £25 for the 1/4-ounce, and £10 for the 1/10-ounce. In 2013, a 5-ounce coin of face value £500 and a 1/20-ounce piece with a face value of £5 were also released.

The reverse featured a standing Britannia wearing a Corinthian-style helmet, holding a trident in her right hand and an olive branch in the left, resting on a shield that included the “Union Jack.” The obverse featured the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Raphael Maklouf. This 1985 depiction was the third effigy of the Queen used.

The year 1997 marked the 10th anniversary of this coin product when a £2 silver 1-ounce coin was also introduced. The reverse design featured a standing Britannia driving a team of horses behind a chariot. From 1998, the silver issues were struck in both Proof and Uncirculated quality for both collectors and investors and with a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II created by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The reverse designs were changed in 1998 with interesting depictions of Britannia.

The 2017 coins have a radial sunburst composed of minutely designed lines of relief. The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.