Gold investment coin 1/10 Oz 10 GBP Britannia

Every major mint has its own investment coins, and the United Kingdom is no exception. The pride of the British mint, The Royal Mint, is the Britannia gold coin, weighing a tenth of a troy ounce.

For two thousand years, the figure of the proud Britannia has symbolised strength, resilience and courage – values that are most dear to the island nation. This allegorical personification of Britain, in the form of a graceful goddess armed with Neptune’s trident, a shield and a Corinthian helmet, first appeared on coins around the year 119. At that time, Britain was a Roman province ruled by Emperor Hadrian. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Britannia faded from view, but reappeared in the 16th century – during the Elizabethan era, when she began to symbolise British naval power. In the centuries that followed, she became a cultural icon; during the world wars, she encouraged the British in their war effort from propaganda posters and adorned stamps and banknotes. Naturally, she also once again became the subject of metal currency – starting with Charles II, she has appeared on the reverse of coins issued by all British monarchs.

The design of the British coin changes regularly, as do its designers. However, the reverse side of the coin is always dominated by an artistic interpretation of Britannia, who is depicted with her essential attributes. The obverse of the coin, meanwhile, features the issuer’s details – namely the face value of 10 POUNDS (GBP) and a portrait of the monarch.

The product photograph is for illustrative purposes only – as this is an investment coin, we cannot guarantee a specific year of issue or design.