Royal Mint, 2020 The Queen’s Beasts White Lion of Mortimer 1/4 oz Gold Coin

Description

Fierce and regal, the White Lion of Mortimer continues the legacy of impressive designs from the popular Queen’s Beasts 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 25 pounds.
Reverse: Designed by Jody Clark, the design features the fierce White Lion of Mortimer clutching its shield.
Sovereign coin backed by the British government.

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 and continues in the year of Her Majesty’s Sapphire Jubilee.

The White Lion of Mortimer descended to the Queen through Edward IV. The shield shows a white rose encircled by a sun, known as “white rose en soleil”. Both of these appear on the Great Seals of Edward IV and Richard III, and were used by George VI while Duke of York. The White Lion is uncrowned, unlike the Lion of England.