BRITANNIA ON COINS
By Guy de la Bédoyère
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Britannia
is the female symbol of Britain Roman
Empire . In the past she was shown as more warlike
than she is now, but she has always been associated with the sea that has both
protected Britain Dartmouth
In
The idea of representing a place or
concept with a human figure goes right back to the coins issued by the Romans,
who themselves had taken the idea from the Greeks. On Roman coins, each female
figure was equipped with very specific attributes. Sometimes Britannia is
confused with Roma, though in fact the two were quite different. Roma wore a
helmet and held a Victory, while Britannia is bare-headed, holds a military
standard and spear and is seated on rocks with a distinctive shield bearing a sharp
central point.
Britannia was a province of the
Britannia first appeared on coins struck by Hadrian (117-38) in
about the year 119. The coin was a copper as (diameter 25mm). You can
see the figure of Britannia here, hunched up on a rock with her shield and
spear. The word BRITANNIA appears under the figure and around it some imperial
titles. The SC stands for Senatus Consulto meaning ‘[struck] by order of the Senate’. The
coin probably commemorates warfare on the northern frontier that led to the
construction of Hadrian’s Wall.
More Britannia coins were issued later in Hadrian’s reign as part
of a general series of sestertii that
depicted the provinces of the Empire (see next coin for what a sestertius was). Hadrian had spent much of his reign
touring the Roman world, and some of these showed the personifications of
provinces greeting him. This coin (left) is the incredibly rare ADVENTVI.AVG.BRITANNIAE (‘the
coming of the emperor to
The next Britannia issues appeared in 143, struck by Antoninus Pius (138-161). The coins undoubtedly refer to
warfare, which is testified in historical sources and had led to the erection
of a new frontier further north. This is a brass sestertius
(diameter 31 mm and equal to 4 asses). The word BRITANNIA is under the figure on this
coin but there were several different types – some have BRITANNIA around the figure.
Antoninus Pius also struck another series of Britannia coins in 154. This
time the copper as was used. The coins were poorly struck and almost
always only turn up in
Apart from some coins of Commodus struck
in 184, that was almost the last time Britannia
appeared on Roman coins. The rebel emperor Carausius (286-93) conducted a vigorous propaganda
campaign to legitimise his rule. On one special issue he showed Britannia
greeting him as a kind of messianic saviour.
It
would be more than 13 centuries before Britannia was revived on coins, copied
from the old Roman coins. The new Britannia came under Charles II (1660-85). In
1665 a series of farthing-sized medals was issued bearing the legend Quatuor Maria Vindico
(‘I claim the four seas’) and the seated figure of Britannia. These are
sometimes described as ‘pattern farthings’ (i.e. experimental designs) but most
surviving examples are silver. They may have been issued also as commemorative
medals for the opening of the Second Dutch War – they are not as rare as
sometimes claimed. The reason they never appeared as circulating coinage was
probably because the legend was far too provocative, but it is quite plain from
almost all extant examples that they had circulated. This silver example
(diameter 24mm) has a silver content roughly equivalent to 1s 6d.
In
1667 a 56mm-wide medal was struck to commemorate the Second Dutch War, which
was fought at sea between
The medal’s
triumphant tone was a little premature. Within months the Dutch had sailed up
the river Medway near
Samuel Pepys saw the medal, which was designed by John Roettier, on
At my
goldsmith’s did observe the King’s new Medall [sic],
where in little there is Mrs Steward’s [sic] face, as
well done as ever I saw anything in my whole life I think – and a pretty thing
it is that he should choose her face to represent Britannia by’.
Samuel Pepys, Diary
Of course these medals were rare and did not circulate as coins.
By 1672 the need for base metal small change had become overwhelming. It was
decided that copper halfpennies and farthings would be struck. The copper
blanks were sourced from
Britannia was chosen as the reverse
type, based on the figure Roettier had created for
the 1665 ‘pattern farthings’ and the 1667 medal. The coin shown is a halfpenny
of 1673 (diameter 30 mm).
Although halfpennies and farthings
were not issued continuously from 1672 on, Britannia remained the normal
reverse type thereafter. Under James II (1685-8) and William and Mary (1689—94)
tin halfpennies and farthings were issued – a very few were even struck under Charles
II in 1684-5 but they are extremely rare. These tin coins were prone to
appalling corrosion, probably because of the chemical effect of a copper plug
in the middle of the coins.
Surviving examples of tin coins are
mostly in wretched condition. Under William and Mary copper halfpennies and
farthings were resumed but the source of the metal was different. Unlike
Charles II’s copper halfpennies and farthings, which
retain a deep red patina, the later copper coins usually became dark brown or
even black.
This picture shows a copper halfpenny
of William
George I (1714-27) halfpenny of 1717. This is the so-called ‘dump’ issue which was smaller and thicker
than other issues.
George II (1727-60) halfpenny
of 1743. Diameter 28 mm. George II issued
halfpennies in abundance and they remain common today.
Britannia also continued to appear on
medals of different types. This is the 1745 medal of Charles Edward Stuart, the
‘Young Pretender’, who that year led the 1745 rebellion in his attempt to
recover the crown for his father, James
Charles Edward Stuart and his army
were smashed at Culloden by the Duke of Cumberland on
During the reign of George
In 1797 steam presses were introduced to make new coins. Britannia
now appeared on twopenny pieces, the penny, halfpenny
and farthing. Until this date the penny and twopence
had only been struck in silver. The new
coins were issued at Matthew Boulton’s mint at
]
The new twopences and pennies were
considered too heavy and were discontinued. A new design of halfpenny appeared
in 1799 (illustrated – diameter 29.5 mm).
Another new design for Britannia followed in 1806. The penny was
also produced in this style but the twopence never
appeared again. The pictures shows a halfpenny of
1806, diameter 28 mm.
Under George IV (1820-30) Britannia appeared on pennies,
halfpennies and farthings but she now faced right instead of left and would
remain that way until 1967. She also acquired a helmet, recalling Roma and
before that Athena.
This is a penny of
Penny of George VI (1936-52), struck
in 1939. Diameter 33.5 mm. Although there are numerous
minor variations this basic design remained in use from the 1860s to 1967, with
a final proof version struck for sets dated 1970 to mark the end of the old
currency system.
Britannia scarcely ever appeared on circulating silver coins.
Under William IV (1830-7) and Victoria (1837-1901), Britannia was used on the
16mm-wide fourpenny silver groat
(not to be confused with the Maundy fourpence). These
coins were only struck between 1836 and 1855, and then again in 1888, apart
from a few proof issues of 1855 and 1862. The design was the same as the
pennies, halfpennies and farthings.
Britannia also appeared on the two shilling (florin) piece of
Edward
Britannia was permanently dropped from
halfpennies and farthings in 1937. She remained on the pennies until 1967 and
the special issue of 1970.
When
Britannia also appears on the silver bullion ‘Britannia’ £2 coins
issued annually by the Royal Mint. There have been several
different designs. The design for 2005 restores Britannia to a facing-left type
very similar to the original coins struck by the Romans and under Charles II. Diameter 39.5 mm. Perhaps it is just as well since the
present Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has approved the scandalous decision to
remove Britannia from circulating coinage. Still, one should consider it a
favour when a politician digs his own grave and thereby saves others from
having to do it for him.
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