1/2 oz Gold Britannia Charles 2023
The Britannia series is back with its 2023 coins and you do not want to miss out! For the first time, it features the portrait of the new King: Charles III. Let us tell you more about this beautiful ½ oz gold Britannia Charles 2023.
The story behind the portrait
King Charles's portrait is the first coin design undertaken by Martin Jennings. He is best known for his public sculptures which include the poet John Betjeman, in St Pancras Station in London, and Philip Larkin in Hull. He used photographs to come up with the design, rather than the King sitting for a specific portrait. King Charles is said to be very pleased with the end result. After working from the photographs, Martin Jennings then modelled his design in plaster which was digitally reduce to the correct size for a coin: “It is the smallest work I have created, but it is humbling to know it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come”
The obverse of the coin
The coins follow centuries of tradition with the monarch now facing left - the opposite way to his predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II. Another characteristic is that as with previous British kings, and unlike the Queen, he wears no crown. Indeed, other male members of the House of Windsor, George V and George VI were both shown crownless.
The official portrait was designed to give an accessible look to the King, and the same is true of the inscription. Jennings studied English at the University of Oxford then trained in calligraphy, experience he has brought to bear on the lettering of King Charles' coinage. Speaking of his choice of font, Jennings said: “What I wanted was a classical, almost magisterial, form of lettering to emphasise the strength in the portrait.' The inscriptions read CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 50 pounds • 2023
The reverse of the coin
Each of these magnificent 2023 1/2 oz gold coins features on their reverse the image of Britannia. Britannia is an elegant and instantly recognisable figure, a proud warrior which first appeared on Roman coins more than 2000 years ago. Long after the Romans left the shores, Britannia began to be featured on British coins and she has come to symbolise the spirit of a nation.
Since 1987, the design of Philip Nathan features on the Britannia coins and has made Britannia the UK most iconic coin. Here, she is standing upon the rocks in a long flowing robe. In her right hand, Britannia holds her trident, while her left hand holds an olive branch and rests upon a shield, representing peace and protection. All these elements reinforce her strength and power.
The security features
In 2021, Britannia coin led the way with the British Mint creating four groundbreaking security features. It employed the team behind the “world's most secure coin, the UK 1 pound coin” and asked them to create four elements in order to take visual security to the next level.These elements make it incredibly hard to forge and are:
A latent image which changes from a padlock to Britannia’s famous trident
A surface animation which brings the background of waves to life
A micro text which provides both decoration and protection
The union flag of Britannia is accented with tincture lines
This coin is a must have in everyone’s collection as it is incredibly popular and expected to sell out quickly. What really makes it so special is that it features the first portrait of King Charles. Do not miss out!