Britannia

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Britannia, the Roman name for the British Isles revived by Camden (1586), has become the poetic name for Britain. Personified as a seated female figure, adapting a 2nd-cent. Roman design, she appeared emblematically (modelled by Frances Stewart, later duchess of Richmond) on Charles II's 1667 peace of Breda medal and copper coinage (1672); the ‘union’ shield resting alongside bore the crosses of St George and St Andrew. The spear was replaced by a trident (1797) after naval triumphs to represent her ruling the waves. She became helmeted (1825), before appearing on the silver groat (1836), and continues on today's 50p piece.

A. S. Hargreaves

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