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Less than half of children don’t know what Britannia, the female personification of the British Isles, stands for it's been revealed today.  Shockingly, one in 20 under-18s think

Britannia is a depiction of Queen Elizabeth II.  More children can recognise popular icons such as Taylor Swift and Wonder Woman than the famous figure who is on many of the coins used

across the UK.  Britannia is the symbol of Britain bestowed on the nation by the Romans and the physical representation of the nation. Her image is on many sculptures, buildings, at the BRIT

Awards and in artwork up and down the country. Curiously, over one in 10 children thought the image was a depiction of Queen Mary, who had a short-lived reign during the 16th Century. A

similar proportion mistook the image for Queen Victoria and one-in-twenty thought Britannia was an artistic depiction of Queen Elizabeth II. Anne Jessop, Director of Commemorative Coin at

The Royal Mint said: "Britannia has been used to reflect the mood of Britain for over 350 years, with artists and sculptors portraying her as the face of the nation.  "It’s

fantastic that she is still recognised by the majority of youngsters who are probably more used to seeing the familiar faces of Taylor Swift or Wonder Woman on their screens." Louis

Tamlyn, the designer of the coin said: "Here is a new Britannia, a modern Britannia. She holds her ancient warrior attributes – crested helmet, spear and shield, as a constant, a sign

of stability, a long-lasting emblem of a nation.  THE QUEEN OFFICIALLY OPENS QUEENSFERRY CROSSING IN SCOTLAND GETTY Britannia: The Royal Mint is launching a new design to celebrate the 30th

anniversary "She is holding her spear with serenity and her shield with strength. Great Britain is illustrated by incorporating Britannia into its silhouette – her flowing robe is in

fact the stable, rocky surface of Britain itself.  "The modernity lies in the composition – the dynamic structure of the coin represents a Britannia gaining in strength and setting the

stride of the nation for years to come." The Royal Mint is launching a new design to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the gold Britannia and the 20th anniversary of the silver

Britannia.  The collection includes Britain’s smallest coin – the 1/40 Ounce Britannia. The design is the latest in a long line of coins that feature the figure of Britannia – dating back to

coins minted in the reign of Hadrian.  The way that she has been depicted says much about the way that successive generations have sought to portray the British nation.