The Royal Mint announced a schedule for the upcoming coins in Queen's Beasts series 2016-2020. The Queen's Beasts series come in silver and gold versions. The first released coin in 2016 was the Lion of England, the second one was Griffin of Edward III. The obverse of the coins depicts the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Most of the internationally known and praised coins in the bullion market have decades of history in their mintage, but this Queen’s Beasts series is a new and exclusive release from the Royal Mint.
The entire Queen's Beasts series is available at Bullion Exchanges.
The Queen’s Beasts series inspired by hundreds of years of royal heraldry includes ten coin designs, based on animals and mythical creatures. Since 1953 British monarchs have used beasts to symbolize their royal ancestry and family allegiances throughout history. The original Queen’s Beasts were a set of ten heraldic statues produced by the Ministry of Works for the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. The Beasts stood at six feet in height and were composed of plaster and sculpted by renowned sculptor James Woodford.
Here are the released and upcoming design concepts which will form the entire series:
1st- The Lion of England - February 2016
2nd-The Griffin of Edward III - October 2016
3rd- The Red Dragon of Wales - March 2017
4th- The White Greyhound of Richmond - September 2017
5th -The Black Bull of Clarence - March 2018
6th- The Falcon of the Plantagenet’s - September 2018
7th- The Yale of Beaufort - March 2019
8th- The White Lion of Mortimer - September 2019
9th- The White Horse of Hanover - March 2020
10th-The Unicorn of Scotland - September 2020
Meanwhile, the Royal Mint hasn’t announced the final coins’ designs for 2017-2020 yet and no photos of coins are on hand now.
As history says at the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen, ten heraldic beasts stood guard. The heraldic creatures symbolized the various strands of royal ancestry brought together in a young woman about to be crowned queen. Each proud beast, used as a heraldic badge by generations that went before her, was inspired by the King’s Beasts of Henry VIII that still line the bridge over the moat at his Hampton Court Palace. The original plaster statues now sit in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau after the Canadian Government took possession of them in July 1959. James Woodford also sculpted a series of replicas out of Portland Stone, which stands proudly in the Kew Gardens of London.
History of the previous launches:
The first released coin in this series was the Lion of England, probably one of the most familiar beasts in the series. While many of the other beasts are fantastical or mythical creatures, the Lion is a real animal that is easy for people to imagine. The Lion has represented England for centuries and since the twelfth-century Lions have appeared on the coat of arms of every British monarch. It also appears in the Royal Arms, alongside the Scottish Unicorn, supporting the quartered shield, and is featured on many other important items, from coins to British passports.
The second one was Griffin of Edward III an ancient mythical beast. It was considered a beneficent creature, signifying courage and strength combined with guardianship, vigilance, swiftness and keen vision. It was closely associated with Edward III who engraved it on his private seal. The shield shows the Round Tower of Windsor Castle, where Edward III was born, with the Royal Standard flying from the turret, enclosed by two branches of oak surmounted by the royal crown.
Both coins were designed by Royal Mint coin engraver - Jody Clark, who is also a designer of 2017 Britannia coin and Her Majesty Queen’s 5th portrait. The coins also issued in silver and gold versions.
The obverse of the entire series depicts the portrait of beloved British Monarch - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
As well as being an absolutely beautiful piece of artwork and manufactured due to the highest standards, the coin’s content and weight are backed by the UK Government. Limited edition of this series, excellent quality, and status of legal tender in the UK make this series a great addition to any precious metals collection.
All upcoming coins will be available for purchase at Bullion Exchanges! Keep checking our website’s updates!
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