The Queen's Beasts (coin)

The Queen's Beasts coins are British bullion coins issued by the Royal Mint in gold and silver since 2016.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Each of the 10 planned coins in the series features a stylized version of one of the heraldic Queen's Beasts statues present at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II representing her royal line of ancestry. The silver coin is notable as it marks "the first time an official two-ounce United Kingdom silver bullion coin has been struck".[1] The entire series' designs are to be created by engraver Jody Clark.[1]

The Lion of England (Silver)
United Kingdom
Value 5 pounds sterling
Mass 62.42 g
Diameter 38.61 mm
Thickness 6.00 mm
Edge Milled
Composition .9999 silver
Years of minting 2016
Obverse
Design Queen Elizabeth II
Designer Jody Clark
Design date 2015
Reverse
Design The Lion of England
Designer Jody Clark
Design date 2016

The Lion of England

The Lion of England is the first in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins. Released in March, 2016[1] the initial allocation of coins from the Royal Mint sold out[8] and were not available again until Mid-June 2016. Minting ceased on (TBD).

Single coins purchased were delivered in a plastic coin capsule or flip as chosen when ordering. Bulk orders were delivered in the same containers used for packaging of Britannia bullion coins: 10 coins per tube, 20 tubes per box. The tube for silver can potentially hold a total of 13 coins.

On February 18, 2016, Wholesale Direct Metals announced they would be the exclusive North American distributor for the Royal Mint of the Lion of England coins.[9] By mid-2016 the coins were widely available for sale and trade from a variety of sources.

Obverse

The obverse features the 5th definitive coinage Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II,[10] surrounded by the text "ELIZABETH II • D • G • REG • F • D • (5/25/100) POUNDS". DG REG FD is an abbreviation of the latin "Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor" meaning; "Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith" and is a form of the Style of the British sovereign of Queen Elizabeth II common on coins of the Pound Sterling. The initials of the artist Jody Clark appear just below the portrait.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the crowned Lion of England surrounded by the text "LION OF ENGLAND • (¼/1/2)oz FINE (GOLD/SILVER) • 999.9 • 2016". The initials of the artist Jody Clark appear just below shield offset to the right.

The Griffin of Edward III

The Griffin of Edward III is the second in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins. Released in November of 2016.

Single coins purchased were delivered in a plastic coin capsule or flip as chosen when ordering. Bulk orders were delivered in the same containers used for packaging of Britannia bullion coins: 10 coins per tube, 20 tubes per box. The tube for silver can potentially hold a total of 13 coins.

Obverse

The obverse features the 5th definitive coinage Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II,[10] surrounded by the text "ELIZABETH II • D • G • REG • F • D • (5/25/100) POUNDS". DG REG FD is an abbreviation of the latin "Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor" meaning; "Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith" and is a form of the Style of the British sovereign of Queen Elizabeth II common on coins of the Pound Sterling. The initials of the artist Jody Clark appear just below the portrait.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Griffin of Edward III surrounded by the text "GRIFFON OF EDWARD III • (¼/1/2)oz FINE (GOLD/SILVER) • 999.9 • 2017". The initials of the artist Jody Clark appear just below shield offset to the left.

The Falcon of the Plantagenets

The Falcon of the Plantagenets is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Falcon of the Plantagenets.

The Black Bull of Clarence

The Black Bull of Clarence is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Black Bull of Clarence.

The Yale of Beaufort

The Yale of Beaufort is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Yale of Beaufort.

The White Lion of Mortimer

The White Lion of Mortimer is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the White Lion of Mortimer.

The White Greyhound of Richmond

The White Greyhound of Richmond is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the White Greyhound of Richmond.

The Red Dragon of Wales

The Red Dragon of Wales is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Red Dragon of Wales.

The Unicorn of Scotland

The Unicorn of Scotland is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the Unicorn of Scotland.

The White Horse of Hanover

The White Horse of Hanover is an upcoming design in the series of Queen's Beasts bullion coins but is not yet released.

Reverse

The reverse features a stylized rendition of the White Horse of Hanover.

Specifications

The following table contains specifications for each coin.[11][12][13]

Face Value Composition Weight Diameter Thickness
£100 1 ozt 0.9999 Gold 31.21 g 32.69 mm 2.70 mm
£25 ¼ ozt 0.9999 Gold 07.80 g 22.00 mm
£5 2 ozt 0.9999 Silver 62.42 g 38.61mm 6.00 mm

Mintage

The following table has the most recent available information on the numbers of coins minted by design.

Year Released Obverse Reverse 1 ozt Gold ¼ ozt Gold 2 ozt Silver
2016 Queen Elizabeth II The Lion of England unlimited unlimited unlimited
2017 Queen Elizabeth II Griffin of Edward III unlimited unlimited unlimited
20__ Not Released Falcon of the Plantagenets
20__ Not Released Black Bull of Clarence
20__ Not Released Yale of Beaufort
20__ Not Released White Lion of Mortimer
20__ Not Released White Greyhound of Richmond
20__ Not Released Red Dragon of Wales
20__ Not Released Unicorn of Scotland
20__ Not Released White Horse of Hanover

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Queen’s Beasts are brought to life in a new bullion coin range. The Royal Mint Blog 31 March 2016
  2. ↑ "Royal Mint Launches Queen's Beasts". Coin World. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  3. ↑ "Royal Mint surprises with Queens Beasts, new gold and silver bullion coin series - AgAuNEWS". AgAuNEWS. 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  4. ↑ "Royal British Mint Issues New "Queen's Beasts" Gold and Silver Bullion Coins — World Mint News Blog". world.mintnewsblog.com. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  5. ↑ "Royal Mint begins new bullion coin program | Coin World". Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  6. ↑ lawrieongold (2016-03-30). "UK's Royal Mint introduces 'The Queen's Beasts' gold and silver coins". lawrieongold. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  7. ↑ Rodger, James (2016-03-30). "New £100 coin unveiled - here's how to get one". Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  8. ↑ "Queen's Beasts Secondary Market Prices Too High". Coin World. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  9. ↑ "Wholesale Direct Metals Chosen by The Royal British Mint to Be the Exclusive North American Distributor for the 2016 Royal British Lion Gold & Silver Coins". Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  10. 1 2 "The fifth portrait of The Queen is unveiled". 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  11. ↑ "Buy The Queen's Beasts 2016 – The Lion - 1 oz Gold Bullion Coin". www.royalmintbullion.com. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  12. ↑ "Buy The Queen's Beasts 2016 – The Lion – 1/4 oz Gold Bullion Coin". www.royalmintbullion.com. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  13. ↑ "Buy The Queen's Beasts 2016 – The Lion - 2 oz Silver Bullion Coin". www.royalmintbullion.com. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
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