In 2003, the Royal Mint released a very special Limited Issue Britannia Silver Proof 4 Coin Set struck in solid fine .958 Silver and includes the £2 Two Pound, £1 One Pound, 50p Fifty Pence and 20p Twenty Pence Coins and bears a new reverse design by the award winning sculptor Philip Nathan, creator of the three previous Britannia designs used since the Britannia range made its introduction in 1987.
In deciding to extend the Britannia series, it was more or less inevitable that Philip Nathan should be given the commission to develop the theme of Britannia. His new design for 2003 provides a representation of the head of Britannia wearing a helmet, a traditional attribute of Britannia and an indication that she is not defenceless. The superimposing of a wave pattern conveys a sense of Britannia's nautical background, an aspect along with Britannia's essential Britishness that Philip Nathan has always been keen to emphasise.
There is a unity too, in the retention of the crenellated border which has been a feature of Philip Nathan's Britannia designs since the original issue in 1987. The obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is designed by Ian Rank Broadley. These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
