Description

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne of England in 1952 following her father’s abdication as King of England. Her official coronation as the new Queen of England was in 1953, and during her ceremony there were wooden statues of 10 heraldic creatures present.

The first of these designs is the heraldic Lion of England, the most important and visible of the creatures. The lion played a key role in British heraldry, often used in the coat of arms by many knights during the Early Medieval period. Today, the nation’s football team is often referred to as the Three Lions, a nod to the use of three lions on the country’s heraldic shield.

On the reverse side of each 2016 1/4 oz British Gold Queens Beast Coin you’ll find the image of an imposing lion standing on its hind legs, with one paw clutching the coat of arms of the Royal Family and the other paw poised to strike at the nation’s enemies.

The obverse of all British Gold Queens Beast coins features the all-new right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty’s portrait has been updated three times now since her coronation in 1953. The latest, introduced in 2015, comes from Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark, who created the images on both sides of this coin.

Founded as the London Mint in the 9th century, the Royal Mint is the official sovereign mint of the United Kingdom and is one of the oldest operating mint facilities in the world today.