In 1991 the Royal Mint released a Limited Issue Britannia £10 Ten Pound Gold Proof Coin struck in solid 22 Carat Gold and weighing one tenth of an ounce of pure Gold.
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 designed Britannias can be found on the reverse of this one tenth ounce £10 Ten Pound Gold Proof Coin.
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 1991 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.