SHE has been the iconic figure that represents the nation at its finest.

And now, Britannia is making a return to the UK’s coins – as part of a special commemorative £2 coin unveiled in Southampton today.

On board P&O’s flagship Britannia, the Royal Mint revealed the new design, which will be on new coins that will be minted later this year.

The special edition £2 coin will be displayed on board the vessel, which calls Southampton home.

Shane Bissett, The Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin and Medals, said: “The birth of two iconic Britannias almost simultaneously is an important event which The Royal Mint and P&O Cruises wanted to mark in an appropriate manner. It gives me great pleasure to visit our coin’s namesake, and it is an honour to have the opportunity to commemorate the launch of the cruise ship Britannia.”

Britannia first appeared on British coins during the 17th century. Until the introduction of decimalisation in 1971, Britannia was pennies.

She was most recently represented on 50p coins, until new designs for all British coinage were introduced in 2008.

Captain Paul Brown said: “It is a great honour to receive this special commemorative coin and very fitting that we are on board Britannia, which is "the nation's ship". The name Britannia has great historical resonance with P&O Cruises long and famous heritage and, most importantly, both the ship and new £2 coin pay homage to our past and celebrate the forward-looking Britain of today and the future.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “It is great to see Britannia’s welcome return to our currency. Making her first appearance on our coins in the 17th Century, Britannia is an enduring symbol of our national identity, ideal to help reinforce the strong sense of shared purpose and history for modern Britons.”