How Britannia got her trident
Parliament voted to renew Trident as Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent. But what about Britannia and her trident?
— Unnoticed by some, our coinage was unilaterally disarmed in 2008 when a new 50p was issued, with a crest, not Britannia.
— But then Britannia didn’t always bear a trident. When she was first put on coins by the Romans she carried a spear in one hand and an olive branch in the other.
— She retained her spear until 1797 when, to celebrate Britain’s naval power, the weapon was replaced by a trident. The inspiration came from Poseidon and Neptune, Greek and Roman deities of the sea. They carried a trident because it was used in the ancient world for fishing.
Death under arrest
Who dies when police in the US arrest suspects, and how do they die? A study of 4,813 deaths of suspects during and soon after arrest revealed the following:
95% were males.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in