2019 Britain Queen's Beasts Falcon of the Plantagenents £5 BU (Cupro-Nickel)

2019 Queens Beasts Falcon of the Plantagenets Cupro-Nickel

The Royal Mint has once again proven its impeccable dedication to producing British coinage that faithfully represents the nation's rich heritage. Eighth in the immensely popular ten-coin Queen's Beasts Series, the White Lion of Mortimer was designed for the British Royal Mint by the highly respected engraver, Jody Clark. As with the seven previous releases, the intricate detail captured in the image is truly remarkable! This magnificent 2019 Queens Beasts Falcon of the Plantagenets Cupro-Nickel contributes greatly to the centuries of British heritage represented in the 10 original painted plaster statues of 1953.

Minted in 28.28 weight, this Cupro-Nickel BU edition joins the series that 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 5-pound face value. Quite interestingly, the Queen's portrait was also designed by Jody Clark and adopted into British coinage since 2016. 

Highlights

• 2019 Cupro-Nickel Queen's Beasts Falcon of the Plantagenets BU.
• Sixth edition of a series of ten coins.
• Contains 28.28g of cupro-nickel BU. 
• Coin comes in a highly-collectible, brightly illustrated fold-out info pack.  
• Obverse: Displays Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Inscriptions include "Elizabeth II. D. G. REG. F. D." and the 5 pounds' face value.  
• Reverse: Features the detailed heraldic image representing the Falcon of the Plantagenets and the issue date of 2019.  
• Sovereign coin backed by the British government.

The Falcon Takes Flight

The image of the Falcon of the Plantagenets is distinctively presented with a regal stoutness. Depicted clutching the shield of Beaufort, left-facing profile, its powerful muscular talons are dominant. In a display of confidence and pride, the Falcon of the Plantagenets stands tall and regal. Inscriptions encircling the rim include, "FALCON OF THE PLANTAGENETS . 2019."

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 were 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.

As noted by the 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."