Over the last few years, British Britannia bars have become increasingly popular. Manufactured by the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom, the bars are now available in a wide range of sizes in gold, silver, and platinum. The complete range of sizes is available at SuisseGold.com.
The Origin of Lady Britannia
Lady Britannia first appeared on coins in the British Isles around 40AD, when England was part of the Roman Empire. At the time, England was called Britannia. Britannia came to be represented by an image of Lady Britannia, a mythical woman who protected the island from invaders. This is the first time that images of Lady Britannia appeared on coins. Her image has appeared on coins a number of times since then, and more frequently since the 1600s.
More recently, Britannia has been used to represent the United Kingdom during its period of unification. Although the image has been used on a number of coins over the last several hundred years, today Lady Britannia only appears on the Britannia series of coins and bars, which are issued by the Royal Mint. Her image does not appear on circulated coins, only on investment bullion.
With a purity of 9999, the British Britannia gold bar's depiction of Lady Britannia represents the embodiment of Britain's courage and pride. The bars are designed by Jody Clark, a renowned coin designer. Clark is well-known for the production of Queen Elizabeth II's fifth-generation portrait, which as of 2016, is used on the British coinage, as well as the ten designs of her from the mint in the Queen’s Beast Collection.
Britannia gold bars are available from SuisseGold.com in the full range of sizes, including: 1 gram, 5 gram, 10 gram, 20 gram, 50 gram, and 100 gram, as well as a 1 ounce bar.
Lady Britannia has appeared on the Britannia coin series in silver since 1997, however her image on a silver bar was only released in 2015. At present, the Britannia is available in a new design from England’s Royal Mint in the form of silver bars. The 100 ounces Britannia silver bar’s reverse face includes the seal of the British Royal Mint. This seal is followed by the purity, weight, and metal content of the bar as engravings. The bottom design of the bar features the rolling waves of the sea, which reflects the nation’s seafaring history.
SuisseGold.com sells silver Britannias bars in 100 gram, 10 ounce, and 100 ounce sizes. The same image designed by Jody Clark that appears on the gold Britannia bar also features on the silver one.
Also designed by Jody Clark, the platinum Britannia bar represents a modern perception of Britannia. Since its introduction in 2015, Jody Clark’s portrait of the Queen has been featured on all coins in the UK. In the image created by Clark, Lady Britannia wears a Corinthian helmet and carries a shield in one hand and a trident in the other - these are symbols of protection and strength. Lady Britannia also carries a shield embellished with an image of the Union Jack. SuisseGold.com sells platinum Britannias bars in 1 ounce and 100 gram sizes. All platinum bars have a fineness of 9995.
Conclusion
The Royal Mint releases a wide range of minted Britannia bullion products featuring Britain's iconic emblem. The exclusive design by Jody Clark portrays Britannia gazing over the waves as she clutches her trident and protects the shores. The gold, silver, and platinum bars are available to purchase individually or in bulk.