In 2005, 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.
Britannia first appeared as a provincial figure on a Roman imperial coin of the Emperor Hadrian (117-138AD. She did not feature on English coins until the issue of copper halfpennies and farthings by Charles II in 1672 but, since that time, has graced the coinage of every British monarch. Britannia was therefore a natural choice for the new Silver Coins of 2005 - coins that also took her name. The 2005 Britannia Coins feature a new reverse design, the fifth since the Britannia bullion coins were first introduced in 1987.
Created by the award winning sculptor Philip Nathan, the design shows Britannia in a traditional pose. Seated on a craggy rock, looking out to sea, with her robes blowing in the wind, in her right hand Britannia holds a shield, emphasising her protection of the British Isles. The laurel bush in front of her symbolises her love of peace but her helmet and the trident clasped in her left hand, emphasise that she is not defenceless. The obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II has been designed by Ian Rank Broadley. These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
