2020 Platinum Great Britain Queen's Beasts (The Falcon) - 1 oz

2020 1 oz Platinum Queens Beasts Falcon

The Royal Mint has once again proven its impeccable dedication to producing British coinage that faithfully represents the nation's rich heritage. Sixth in the immensely popular ten-coin Queen's Beasts series, The White Falcon of The Plantagenets was designed for the British Royal Mint by the highly respected engraver, Jody Clark. As with the five previous releases, the intricate detail captured on the image is truly awesome! This magnificent 2020 1 oz Platinum Queens Beasts Falcon of The Plantagenets contributes greatly to the centuries of British heritage represented in the 10 original painted-plaster statues of 1953.

Minted in high-relief with highest purity and 1 oz weight, this platinum coin series has become a highly treasured favorite among collectors and precious metals investors worldwide. The coin's obverse displays Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the 100 pounds face value. Quite interestingly, the Queen's portrait was also designed by Jody Clark and adopted into British coinage since 2016. The background pattern features the Royal Mint's new guilloché texture design.

The Heraldic White Falcon

In stunning detail, the reverse features a large heraldic white falcon with wings spread wide, his head turned to its right. With his large, powerful talons the falcon firmly clutches a shield before him. The bird's long tail feathers can be seen spread behind the shield. The falcon's size fills the center inset, with his head and wing-tips extending into the narrow band encircling the rim. The shield displays a second, smaller falcon perched on an open fetterlock. This scene holds much historical significance.

Inscriptions include "FALCON OF THE PLANTAGENETS . 1 oz FINE PLATINUM . 999.5 . 2019." The designer's initials are below and to the right of the shield.

The historical context of the White Falcon of The Plantagenets is recounted by The Royal Mint:

"The Falcon passed to The Queen from the Plantagenet king Edward III. He chose the symbol to embody his love of hawking but it is also closely associated with his great-great-grandson, Edward IV. The white Falcon at The Queen's coronation held a shield with a badge depicting a second white falcon within an open golden fetterlock, or padlock."

"The fetterlock and the falcon were popular emblems in the Houses of both York and Lancaster, as they had descended from Edward III's younger sons John of Gaunt and Edmund of Langley. The fetterlocks used by John and Edmund were always locked, perhaps to show they had no claim to the throne. Edward IV gave his younger son, Richard, the badge of a white falcon within an open fetterlock ‑ the lock Edward forced to take the throne. Henry VII, who united the houses of York and Lancaster with his marriage to Elizabeth of York, often used a falcon symbol and it was said to be the favourite badge of Queen Elizabeth I."

Highlights

• 2020 1 oz Platinum Queens Beasts Falcon.
• Sixth edition of a series of ten coins.
• This Platinum coins contains 1 troy oz of .9995 fine platinum.
• High-relief minting.
• Obverse: Displays Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, against the Royal Mint's stunning guilloché obverse pattern. Inscriptions include "ELIZABETH II . D. G. REG. F. D." and the 100 pounds face value.
• Reverse: Features the heraldic detailed image representing the white Falcon of the Plantagenets, the date, and the coin's weight and purity.
• 100 pound face value.
• Sovereign coin backed by the British government.

History

The Queen's Beasts are ten heraldic statues depicting the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II. The statues were created by the British sculptor James Woodford in 1953 for the Queen's coronation, and temporarily set up in front of the western annex to Westminster Abbey, the coronation church of the British monarchy. Today, the almost 2 meter high painted plaster figures are on display in the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.