Editing Britannia (section)

=== Depiction on British currency and postage stamps ===

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction =
| total_width = 300
| image1 = British pre-decimal halfpenny 1936 reverse.png
| alt1 =
| caption1 = 1936 [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny]]
| image2 = Coin britannia george VI.jpeg
| caption2 = 1937 [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]]
| header = Britannia on coins of [[George VI]] ({{reign|1936|1952}})
}}

==== Coinage ====

Although the archetypical image of Britannia seated with a shield first appeared on Roman bronze coins of the 1st century AD struck under [[Hadrian]], Britannia's first appearance on British coinage was on the [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]] in 1672, though earlier pattern versions had appeared in 1665, followed by the [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny]] later the same year. The figure of Britannia was said by [[Samuel Pepys]] to have been modelled on Frances Teresa Stuart, the future [[Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox|Duchess of Richmond]],<ref name="24carat"/> who was famous at the time for refusing to become the mistress of Charles II, despite the King's strong infatuation with her. Britannia then appeared on the [[British halfpenny coin]] throughout the rest of the 17th century and thereafter until 1936. The halfpennies issued during the reign of [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] have Britannia closely resembling the queen herself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/halfp.html |title=3 – The Halfpenny |work=Coins of the UK |publisher=Tony Clayton}}</ref> When the [[Bank of England]] was granted a charter in 1694, the directors decided within days that the device for their official seal should represent 'Brittannia sitting on looking on a Bank of Mony' (sic). Britannia also appeared on the [[History of the English penny|penny coin between 1797 and 1967]], occasional issues such as the fourpence under [[William IV]] between 1836 and 1837, and on the [[Fifty pence (British coin)|50 pence]] coin between 1969 and 2008.<ref>{{cite news
  |url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gordonbrown/story/0,,2247910,00.html
  |title=Brown blamed as Britannia gets the boot
  |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]  |access-date=28 January 2008  | first=Steven | last=Morris | date=28 January 2008
}}</ref> See "External Links" below for examples of all these coins and others.

In the spring of 2008, the [[Royal Mint]] unveiled [[Coins of the pound sterling#2008 redesign|new coin designs]] "reflecting a more modern twenty-first century Britain"<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.royalmint.com/PackedSets/UKL8SPS.aspx |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081014082751/http://www.royalmint.com/PackedSets/UKL8SPS.aspx |archive-date=14 October 2008 |title=2008 Emblems of Britain Silver Proof Collection |publisher=The Royal Mint
}}</ref> which do not feature the image of Britannia. The government pointed out, however, that earlier-design 50p coins will remain in circulation for the foreseeable future.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7326491.stm |title=Royal Mint unveils coin designs|publisher=BBC News |date=2 April 2008}}</ref> Also Britannia still appeared on the gold and silver "[[Britannia (coin)|Britannia]]" bullion coins issued annually by the Royal Mint.

A new definitive £2 coin was issued in 2015, with a new image of Britannia. In late 2015, a limited edition (100000 run) £50 coin was produced, bearing the image of Britannia on one side and Queen [[Elizabeth II]] on the obverse.<ref>[http://www.royalmint.com/shop/Britannia_2015_UK_50_pound_Fine_Silver_Coin "Britannia 2015 UK £50 Fine Silver Coin"]. Royal Mint. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203012326/http://www.royalmint.com/shop/Britannia_2015_UK_50_pound_Fine_Silver_Coin# |date=3 December 2015 }}</ref>
[[File:Britannia 2021.jpg|thumb|150x150px|2021 Britannia one ounce gold bullion coin featuring four advanced security features for the first time]]
In October 2020, The Royal Mint released the 2021 Britannia bullion coin range. The original 1987 coin design by Philip Nathan was enhanced with new security features. The Royal Mint claims this makes the Britannia "the world's most visually secure bullion coin." The security features include a latent image, micro-text, surface animation and tincture lines.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Royal Mint unveil the world's most visually secure bullion coin |url=https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-unveil-the-worlds-most-visually-secure-bullion-coin/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Royal Mint}}</ref>{{third-party inline|date=May 2022}}

In 2021, the Royal Mint issued a new range of commemorative coins featuring a redesigned Britannia as a woman of colour.<ref>[https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/britannia-woman-of-colour "For The First Time, The Royal Mint Issues A Coin Featuring Britannia As A Woman Of Colour"] British Vogue</ref>

==== Banknotes ====
{{main|Bank of England note issues}}

{{multiple image
| align    = right
| total_width = 300
| image1   = Bank of England £5 note 1952.jpg
| caption1 = A 1952 Bank of England five pound note or "white fiver" showing Britannia in the top left corner
| image2   = Stamp irl 1922 2N6se.jpg
| caption2 = A 1922 [[King George V Seahorses]] postage stamp, featuring Britannia with an [[Irish Free State]] overprint
}}

A figure of Britannia appeared on the "white fiver" (a five pound note printed in black and white) from 1855 for more than a century, until 1957.<ref>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/others/%C2%A35_note,_bank_of_england.aspx | title=£5 note, Bank of England | publisher=British Museum | access-date=24 January 2013
  | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203091018/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/others/%C2%A35_note,_bank_of_england.aspx | archive-date=3 February 2013
}}</ref>

From 1928 "Britannia Series A" ten shilling and one pound notes were printed with a seated Britannia bearing both a spear and an olive branch.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bsswebsite.me.uk/A%20Short%20History%20of/banknotes.html | title=A Short History of English Banknotes | date=17 June 2009 | access-date=24 January 2013 | author=Sharples, BS}}</ref>

The 25 cents fractional paper currency of the Dominion of Canada (1870, 1900 and 1923 respectively) all depict Britannia.

==== Postage stamps ====

Britannia also featured on the high value Great Britain definitive postage stamps issued during the reign of [[George V]] (known as '[[King George V Seahorses|seahorses]]') and is depicted on the £10 stamp first issued in 1993.