We are delighted to announce that Britannia is to return to the circulatingcoinage, on the new definitive £2 - she hasn't been struck on circulating coins since 2008!

The new depiction of Britannia will replace Bruce Rushin's 'History of Technological Achievement' design that has been a constant feature on the£2 coin since its first issue in 1997.

The Romans were the first to use Britannia as a personification of the island of Britain. It's an association that dates back to the reign ofEmperor Hadrian, who visited Britain in AD 119. However, her history on Britain's coinage is somewhat shorter, as it wasn't until 1672 during thereign of Charles II that Britannia first featured on Britain's coins. For over 300 years, Britannia remained a permanent feature of the coinage,gracing the coins of every British monarch from 1672 until 2008 - when Britannia was last struck on circulating coins.

Britannia's long-awaited return to the coinage is truly historic, and the new design by Anthony Dufort features Britannia as we have never seenher before! It has a contemporary and modern feel, with a cropped portrait displaying only the head and shoulders of Britannia - a departure from thetraditional seated pose and the familiar defiant stance on bullion coins. However, her heritage remains: both the trident and shield clearly featurein the design, and Britannia is seen wearing a Corinthian helmet.

David Pickup writes:

Pabitra Saha writes:

To read the complete article, see:
Britannia returns to circulating coins!(http://blog.royalmint.com/britannia-returns-circualting-coins/)