The Queen's Beasts (coin)
| 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 | |
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| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Reverse | |
 |
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| Design | The Lion of England |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2016 |
The Queen's Beasts coins are British coins issued by the Royal Mint in gold and silver since 2016. 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". The entire series' designs are to be created by engraver Jody Clark. In December of 2016, a full line of Proof quality coins was announced.
The Lion of England is the first in the series of Queen's Beasts coins. Released in March, 2016 the initial allocation of bullion coins from the Royal Mint sold out and were not available again until Mid-June 2016. Proof versions were announced 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.
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 bullion coins. By mid-2016 the coins were widely available for sale and trade from a variety of sources. The proof versions were widely available in December of 2016.
The obverse features the 5th definitive coinage Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by the text "ELIZABETH II • D • G • REG • F • D • (5/25/100/500/1000) 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.
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