Description
When Her Majesty The Queen was crowned in 1953, the entrance to Westminster Abbey was guarded by ten fantastical creatures. The Queen’s Beasts were six-foot tall statues that symbolized the heritage and history Queen Elizabeth II inherited that day. These royal protectors have been brought to life in a collection named in their honor, which began in the year The Queen became the world’s longest reigning living monarch.
The Falcon of the Plantagenets came to The Queen through Edward IV. The shield in the grasp of the larger Falcon also shows a smaller falcon atop a golden fetterlock, which is partially open. This depicts Edward’s claim to the throne. The Falcon was later adopted by Henry VIII and established as a royal beast during the reign of Elizabeth I.
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.
