Trade dollars were not national currencies but minted in the 19th and early 20th centuries by several states as far trade currency. This British specimen depicts Britannia in full armor, her cape flying in the wind. In her hand she holds a trident, usually the symbol of Poseidon, the god of the sea. A ship sails by in the distance. Britannia stands for Great Britain's rule over the sea, appropriate for a coin issued for oversea-trade.