Us Gold Bureau Investors Know The Story Of The Britannia Coin

By Author: Samantha Collander
Total Articles: 11
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Coin collectors at sites like US Gold Bureau realize that collecting coins is about more than just knowing their value or the particular type of precious metal used to make them, it is also about their history. When it comes to Britannia, a word which describes present day Great Britain and takes its roots from the Latin and Greek names for the land, there is a great deal to learn of this region's coins. The coins of Britannia were, as many United States Gold Bureau collectors know, stamped out by the Roman emperor Hadrian. This happened during the 1st Century AD and at this time, the goddess featured on the coins wore a Roman centurion helmet.

Britannia in early coins was depicted as a goddess in a white robe with a single breast hanging loose, the helmet on her head and spear or trident. Many US Gold Bureau collectors know that alongside her there was a shield laid on a rock which she leans against. Below this was a globe floating on the waves to represent Britain as an island or sea faring culture which stood at the borders of the world as known then. By the 5th Century, as fans of United States Gold Bureau will know, ...
... the Romans had withdrawn from the British isles and this image was no longer in use.

It would be another 200 years before the Roman style image was seen again, this time it became a symbol of the British Empire and its unity against outside invaders. Those at U.S. Gold Bureau know that in 1672, the image of Britannia was stamped onto a British coin known as a farthing. The woman used on an earlier incarnation of this coin went on to become the Duchess of Richmond. At long last, over 300 years of waiting having passed, the first gold coin of Britannia was finally struck and it continues to delight collectors at sites like U.S. Gold Bureau where coin collectors gather. This coin was a first for the image and a gorgeous gold bullion coin still collected by investors, too.

Many investors believe that this coin was Britain's response to the issuing of other gold coins such as South Africa's Krugerrand that first hit the markets in the late 1960's. The gold Britannia was.971 pure 22 karat gold and saw minting from 1987 until 1989. Weights of the coin ranged from one tenth of an ounce to a full ounce. The depictions of Britannia featured on the coin vary, but most include her along with a chariot and a lion.

One of the strengths of this amazing British gold coin is that it is exempt from Capital Gains Tax and also the Value Added Tax. This is what makes it such a superb choice for today's investors around the world who want a first class gold bullion coin to hold their wealth in.

Oliver Rubino is a coin and precious metals blogger who favors sites like US Gold Bureau. When not collecting he enjoys metal detecting and gourmet cooking. Visit http://www.georgejarkesy.com/ for more information.