Royal Mint, 2017 The Queen’s Beasts Griffin of Edward III 1/4 oz Gold Coin

Description

The Queen’s Beasts celebrates the British Monarch and the centuries of fascinating heraldry that has been a part of their story. Now available in 1/4 oz Gold, this is the second release in a popular new 10 coin series.

Coin Highlights:
Contains 1/4 oz of .9999 fine Gold.
Obverse: Displays the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, along with the face value of 100 pounds.
Reverse: Features a majestic griffin clutching a shield with it claws as its wings spread to the sky. The metal weight, purity and year are listed around the rim.
Sovereign coin backed by the British government.

At the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen, ten heraldic beasts stood guard. The Queen’s Beasts, sculpted by James Woodford RA for the coronation ceremony held in Westminster Abbey in 1953, stand six feet tall. 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.

Today, The Queen’s Beasts can be found at the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, while Portland stone replicas, also carved by James Woodford, watch over Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. But these mythical, ancient creatures such as the lion, griffin, falcon, bull, yale, greyhound, dragon, unicorn and horse have gone on to inspire the highly-praised new talent, Royal Mint Coin Designer Jody Clark.

The griffin of Edward III Queen’s Beasts is 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.

The griffin is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle’s talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions.