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 (that is, the tenth-ounce silver piece is officially denominated as 20 pence). There is also a five-ounce coin of face value £10.
In 2006, the Royal Mint re-issued for the first time the "definitive" Standing Britannia type of tenth-ounce silver coin which was first issued in 1998.
The denomination is usually only struck in Proof FDC grade, but the 2006 1/10oz silver coins are "bullion" (Brilliant Uncirculated grade); they were distributed individually and were not included in any sets. |