Which Roman goddess did Queen Elizabeth I depict on her coins and medals?

Images of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) were portrayed on medals alongside images of the Roman goddess Minerva. Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa (1717-80) also depicted Minerva on her coins, as did male military leaders, including Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852).

Minerva was the Roman goddess of war and wisdom. The Romans saw her as an emblem of strength, intellect and order. They sought her wisdom in all areas of public life, from military and politics to the arts. Minerva was both a peaceful and an angry goddess, depending on the circumstances. In many myths, she helped and supported men in battle, but those who upset her lived to regret it.

Minerva was allegedly born fully grown and fully armed from the head of her father, Jupiter. Learning of a prophecy that he would have a child more powerful than he, Jupiter ate the pregnant mother, mistakingly believing this would kill the child. Instead, Jupiter developed a terrible headache until Minerva erupted from his skull.

In Roman Britain, Minerva was associated with the Celtic deity Sulis. Minerva-Sulis had power over justice and health, making her a popular goddess in the city of Bath, where the spring waters are said to have healing properties. People came from far and wide to have their ailments cured but also to ask the goddess to inflict pain and suffering on their enemies.