2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Hadrian's Wall - General Julius Agricola, Silver Proof

Hadrian's Wall is the famous monument, but Julius Agricola is the more interesting figure here. As governor of Britain from 77 to 84 AD, Agricola pushed Roman legions further north than any commander before or after, reaching somewhere near the Moray Firth before political recall cut his campaign short. Tacitus — his son-in-law — wrote his biography, making Agricola one of the best-documented Roman governors of Britain, though that relationship also invites questions about flattery over accuracy.

Hadrian's wall itself wasn't begun until around 122 AD, nearly four decades after Agricola's recall. His campaigns arguably made the wall necessary.