In July 1987, the Royal Mint was authorised by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II to issue a new United Kingdom Britannia Gold Proof 2 Coin Set which includes the £25 Twenty Five Gold Proof Coin weighing one quarter of an ounce of pure Gold and a £10 Ten Pound Gold Proof Coin weighing one tenth of an ounce of pure Gold.
Named after the symbolic figure of Britannia, who graces the reverse design, the coins are struck in 22 Carat Gold and are available in four denominations: £100 One Hundred Pound, £50 Fifty Pound, £25 Twenty Five Pound and £10 Ten Pound coins.
The largest of these coins contains 1oz of fine gold, with the lower denominations containing 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce of fine gold respectively. Britannia first appeared as a provincial figure on a Roman Imperial Coin of the Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138 AD), although she did not feature on English coins until the copper halfpennies and farthings of Charles II in 1672.
Since that time Britannia has continuously appeared on Britain‘s coinage. The latest in a long line of elegant and beautifully design Britannia can be found on the reverse of this Quarter Ounce and Tenth Ounce Gold Proof Coins.
The design, by Philip Nathan, depicts Britannia as a standing figure for only the second time on United Kingdom coinage, the first being the much acclaimed Britannia by George William De Saulles, used on the florins of Edward VII between 1902 and 1910. The obverse of the 1987 Britannia coin features Raphael Maklouf‘s portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
Limited Mintage of 11,100 Worldwide
Finished to Royal Mint's Proof Quality
Struck in Solid 22 Carat Gold
Includes Britannia Gold Proof 1/4oz and 1/10oz Coins
