Many gold coin and silver coin collectors and investors will be pleased to find out that The Royal Mint has released the sixth coin from their popular commemorative collection titled ‘The Queen’s Beasts’. The Falcon of The Plantagenets, is now available to pre-order in both a gold and silver variation.
You can buy The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin as a 1oz coin and you can buy the silver coin in a 2oz version. Both versions look set to be popular with those collecting the full run of The Queen’s Beasts coin series, as well as those just starting out.
This latest coin comes after The Black Bull of Clarence gold and silver coins, which were released by The Royal Mint earlier in May 2018. Read on to find out more about the history of this coin series and just why they’re proving so popular.
The Falcon of The Plantagenets coin
Jody Clark, a renowned British designer, is the expertise behind the look of these expertly crafted coins from the Royal Mint’s Queen’s Beasts collection. The Falcon of The Plantagenets design – available in both gold and silver – will feature Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on the obverse of each coin. The gold version of the coin bears the inscription ‘The Falcon of The Plantagenets’ 1oz, Fine Gold, 999.9, 2019, whereas the silver version of the same coin’s inscription reads ‘The Falcon of The Plantagenets’, 2oz, Fine Silver, 999.9, 2019.
Savvy investors among our readership will no doubt want to know the purity level of these stunning new coins. The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin has a purity level of 999.9 and contains 31.1g of fine gold, measuring 32.69mm in diameter. The gold coin’s denomination value is £100 and of course has the bonus of being 0 per cent VAT, as well as being CGT-free.
The purity level of The Falcon of The Plantagenets silver coin is at 999.9 and it contains 62.2g of fine silver and measures 38.61mm in diameter. The silver coin is valued at £5. Unfortunately there is a 20 per cent VAT charge due to pay on the silver coin, but like the gold coin, the silver Falcon is also CGT-free.
Next in a long line of the Queen’s Beast’s commemorative coins
For those investors who have only just found out about The Queen’s Beasts commemorative collection, not to worry, there are future releases planned until September 2020 and you can still purchase coins released previously.
Here’s what’s still to come in the series after The Falcon of The Plantagenets:
- The Yale of Beaufort – released in March 2019
- The White Lion of Mortimer – released in September 2019
- The White Horse of Hanover – released in March 2020
- The White Greyhound of Richmond – released in September 2020
These future releases of both gold and silver coins will also be available to purchase online from The Gold Bullion Co. at a later date.
Keep an eye on our news page or subscribe to our email newsletter to be among the first to hear of future releases!
The Queen’s Beasts coin series – a background
The commemorative coin collection series named ‘The Queen’s Beasts’, is a 10-part series featuring unique designs for each coin. These designs have been inspired by plaster sculptures which were used in the Queen’s 1953 coronation. Each different coin available in The Queen’s Beasts collection has been struck in gold and silver, however, some coins have also been minted in platinum and as larger 10oz silver versions alongside the 2oz coin.
Sixth in the coin series, The Falcon of The Plantagenets is available to pre-order in both gold coins and silver coins which will be a delightful addition to an avid coin collector’s assortment. With their high purity levels, these coins will also be a solid investment choice with the added potential bonus of an extra uplift should demand increase.
What else is available from The Queen’s Beast’s coin series?
There are five other coins which have already been released by The Royal Mint from The Queen’s Beasts collection, they are still available but harder to come by. We’d recommend keeping an eye out for these if you’re serious about completing your collection.
The Lion of England
Originally released back in March 2016, The Lion of England coin was a natural choice for the first of The Queen’s Beasts series. The classic symbol of England is recognised by young and old and has had a charming re-vamp from The Royal Mint.
This classic image of England is sure to warm the hearts of Britain’s most savvy investors and you can buy this beautiful coin in 1oz gold, while the silver version comes as both a 2oz and a 10oz coin. There is also a fine platinum edition of the coin to keep an eye out for.
The Unicorn of Scotland
Issued in November 2017, the second coin in the series is The Unicorn of Scotland, which is also a supporting heraldic beast of the British royal family. The unicorn is a celebrated icon of Scottish heritage and a symbol of national pride which has been in recorded use since 1100 AD.
The Unicorn of Scotland commemorative coin has been struck in both precious metals and like the rest of the collection, the silver coin is a 2oz coin.
The Red Dragon of Wales
Next to be issued was The Red Dragon of Wales, which represents the country and legends of Wales. The Red Dragon of Wales coins are available to collect in 1oz gold and 2oz silver versions. These each boast a 999.9 purity grade, while the platinum version is 999.5 purity.
The Griffin of Edward III
Fourth in the collection is The Griffin of Edward III, which has been minted as a 2oz silver coin and a 1oz gold coin and represents vigilance, courage and above all, strength. This is a famous royal heraldic beast that was first used by King Edward III. Collectors will be pleased to know that there is also platinum version of the coin in 999.5 purity rating.
The Black Bull of Clarence
The most recent and fifth release before The Falcon of The Plantagenets was The Black Bull of Clarence. This heraldic beast was inherited by the Queen through her ancestor Edward IV, who was from the House of York. According to popular legend, the bull was a York family heraldic beast and was also used by Richard III who was Edward IV’s brother and coincidentally, the last king of York.
This coin is available in the 1oz gold and 2oz silver variation, just like the rest of the coins in The Queen’s Beasts commemorative collection.
This is all very interesting, but what exactly are the Queen’s Beasts?
Dating back to the medieval times, the royalty and nobility used certain animals, both imagined and real, to represent status and power. The British royal family has had many variations of heraldic beasts (as these animals have become known) feature on the Royal Coat of Arms representing the United Kingdom as well as to differentiate between the various members of their family.
The concept of The Queen’s Beasts, was born out of 10 original stone statues lining the entrance to Hampton Court Palace, which have been referred to as ‘The King’s Beasts’ for hundreds of years. These same heraldic beasts that have patiently been guarding Hampton Court Palace can also be found at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Historians managed to unravel the origin story of ‘The King’s Beasts’ and have concluded that the statues were commissioned by King Henry VIII during the time of his marriage to Jane Seymour, who was his third wife. Each heraldic beast or animal statue can be seen to be carrying a shield with either a coat of arms or a heraldic badge; these symbols pertain to the shared ancestry of Henry VIII and his queen.
When it was time for Queen Elizabeth II to be crowned, it was decided that the British Ministry of Works should commission 10 new heraldic beasts which illustrate the Queen’s heritage and ancestry. The Queen’s Beasts, as they were soon to be called, were sculpted out of plaster by James Woodford, and the beasts that were chosen have at some point in time, become heraldic supporters on the royal family’s coat of arms.
Standing at six feet tall, the plaster sculptures originally only had their shields painted in bright colours for the coronation. They were placed in the temporary Western annex in Westminster Abbey, forming a guard of honour of sorts, as the soon to be crowned Queen Elizabeth walked into the abbey.
After the coronation, the queen bestowed her 10 heraldic beasts to the Canadian people and you can still view them there today at the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec. There are also stone imitations of the Queen’s Beasts guarding the palm house in Kew Gardens.
It was decided that the Queen’s 10 heraldic beasts, which provided a grand and no-doubt imposing entrance for the queen, should represent those used by a different family from her ancestry. The beasts in the collection are:
- ‘The Yale of Beaufort’
- ‘The Falcon of The Plantagenets’.
- ‘The White Greyhound of Richmond’
- ‘The Griffin of Edward III’
- ‘The White Lion of Mortimer’
- ‘The Red Dragon of Wales’
- ‘The White Horse of Hannover’
- ‘The Lion of England’
- ‘The Black Bull of Clarence’
- ‘The Unicorn of Scotland’
The origin story of The Falcon of The Plantagenets Coin
The Falcon of The Plantagenets came to the Queen through her ancestor King Edward III, who was himself descended from The Plantagenets family who originated in France. When he became king, Edward III chose his heraldic beast based on his favourite pastime, hawking, and thus the falcon beast was born. It soon became a popular choice and his great-great-grandson later adopted it when he became Edward IV of England.
When The Falcon of The Plantagenets features on a shield or coat of arms, the falcon can be seen standing on a golden padlock or ‘fetterlock’ which is always depicted open. This represents the bearer’s right to the British throne and is symbolic of Edward IV’s difficulty in assuming the throne, as he ‘broke the lock’ to get there.
Is it time to start your gold coin collection?
As the markets fluctuate, the gold price offers a remarkable hedge during times of uncertainty. Historically this beautiful precious metal has been shown to increase in value during uncertainty, like Brexit.
But why choose gold coins over – or as well as – gold bullion? The main difference when collecting commemorative coins is that you will not only benefit from the gold price in line with their phenomenal purity levels, but you could also see an increase due to their status as potential rare collector’s items.
The objective with gold coins is that you hope to see an increase in value over time, as the demand for rare collector’s items grows long after the original mint. Although it’s hard to predict which coins will become prized possessions, there has already been a noticeable increase in value of other coins from The Queen’s Beasts series, which bodes well for The Falcon of The Plantagenets coin.
Tempted? We’ve a huge range of gold and silver coins available for purchase including gold sovereigns, antique gold coins and more.
Don’t forget there are other commemorative bullion coins you can buy from previous collections struck by The Royal Mint too. You can also read up on the latest news and features on our gold blog to stay on top of what’s happening in the gold investment market and decide which gold bullion products are right for you.
