| Coin | Silver Half Ounce 2012 Britannia - Seated |
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Britannia coins are British bullion coins issued by the Royal Mint in gold since 1987 and in silver since 1997. The original Britannia silver coins contain one troy ounce (1 oz) of silver and have a face value of £2.
Silver Britannias are also issued in fractional sizes of one-half, one-quarter, one-tenth, 1/20th and 1/40th of a troy ounce and with face values of £1, 50p, 20p, 10p and 5p respectively. There is also a five-ounce coin of face value £10.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Britannia range, in 2012 the Royal Mint re-issued all the earlier reverse designs for a nine-coin set of silver half-ounce (£1) coins, including the 2005 design where Britannia is shown seated, similar to the personification of Britannia originally used on coins of the Roman Emperor Claudius, and then on British halfpennies and farthings since 1672.
This was the last year when the composition was "Britannia silver" (95.8%); the next year, it changed to 99.9%.
This half-ounce (1/2oz) silver coin was only issued in mint sets, in Proof FDC grade. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coins shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend: ELIZABETH ' II ' D ' G REG ' FID ' DEF ' 1 ' POUND '. Translated from Latin: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith, followed by the value and denomination in English.
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| Reverse | |
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At centre, the seated figure of Britannia - the female personification of Great Britain, facing left; her helmet is pushed back to reveal her face; the rim of her robe is decorated with a geometric pattern. Her right hand rests on a shield curved in the Celtic style, decorated with the cross of the Union Jack, with heraldic stripes denoting its colours. With her left hand she cradles a trident resting on her left shoulder. In the background, waves to the right and an oak tree to the left.
Within a toothed border, around left and right, interrupted by Britannia's helmet and trident, the inscription HALF OUNCE FINE SILVER 2012.
Below the exergue line, horizontally, BRITANNIA.
The artist's initials PN (for Philip Nathan) are in relief in small letters in the lower right field. |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Included in Set |
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Britannia 25th Anniversary 1987 - 2012 The Silver Portrait Collection, mintage 1,656
9 coins: 1/2oz Standing Britannia, 1/2oz Charioteer Britannia, 1/2oz Guardian Britannia, 1/2oz Waves Britannia, 1/2oz Seated Britannia, 1/2oz Wreath Britannia, 1/2oz Beachside Britannia, 1/2oz Profile Britannia, 1/2oz Union Jack Britannia
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