The much-anticipated arrival from the Royal Mint’s, ‘The Queen’s Beasts’ gold coin series, The Falcon of The Plantagenets, is now available for collectors and investors to pre-order in a gold or silver edition.

Investors and collectors of this popular commemorative series will be able to buy The Falcon of The Plantagenets in its 1oz gold coin version or as a 2oz silver coin, to add to their collections. Sixth in a ten-coin series, The Falcon of The Plantagenets, follows The Black Bull of Clarence, coins which have proven to be very popular with investors and collectors since they were released back in May 2018.

What are the Queen’s Beasts?

Throughout medieval history, portrayals of certain animals, both real and fictional, have been used in heraldry, to denote the status of royalty and power among the nobility. For centuries the British Crown has been associated with heraldic beasts which have been used to represent previous and existing members of the monarchy, as well as featuring on the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.

There are 10 heraldic beasts named ‘The King’s Beasts’, which have been associated with the British monarchy since their inception, which is thought to date back to over 400 years ago. The discovery of which has been attributed to the 10 stone statues lining the front entrance to Hampton Court Palace, just outside of London, gave rise to the moniker ‘The King’s Beasts’. However, there are other such depictions of these royal beasts at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle too.

The story of ‘The King’s Beasts’ being a baffling one, set historians to work to determine how and why they came to be created at these famous royal sites. They have since deduced that the statues were originally commissioned by King Henry VIII at the time he married his third Queen, Jane Seymour. Originally carved from stone, each heraldic beast standing guard at the entrance to Hampton Court Palace is holding a shield which bears a coat of arms or a heraldic badge, symbolising the ancestry of King Henry VIII and Queen Jane Seymour.

Fast forward to 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, the British Ministry of Works commissioned James Woodford, a renowned sculptor, to create 10 heraldic beast statues out of plaster. These new statues displayed the new queen’s genealogy, with each shield showing a badge or coat of arms from one of Queen Elizabeth’s ancestors. In some cases, the beasts themselves would have once featured as physical heraldic supporters on the Royal Arms of England.

James Woodford was paid the grand sum of £2,750 to produce ten plaster sculptures which were human-sized, standing at six feet in height, however, only the shields were painted in vibrant colours for the coronation. They were situated at the front of Westminster Abbey’s temporary Western annexe, which was constructed for the ceremony, to guard Queen Elizabeth II as she entered the abbey for her coronation.

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 Lion of England’
• ‘The Unicorn of Scotland’
• ‘The Red Dragon of Wales’
• ‘The Yale of Beaufort’
• ‘The Black Bull of Clarence’
• ‘The White Greyhound of Richmond’
• ‘The White Horse of Hannover’
• ‘The Griffin of Edward III’
• ‘The White Lion of Mortimer’
• ‘The Falcon of The Plantagenets’.

After the coronation, it was decided that The Queen’s Beasts were to be bestowed upon Canada as a gift, which the Canadian government at the time accepted and they are still there today, displayed in a permanent collection at the Canadian Museum of History, in Quebec. However, if Quebec is a stretch too far you can still visit The Queen’s Beasts in the UK, as stone copies were made which are on permanent display at Kew Gardens outside the palm house.

What is the Queen’s Beasts coin series?

The Royal Mint launched a collection series titled ‘The Queen’s Beasts’, which comprises of 10 gold and silver coins which are based on the original plaster sculptures that were used during the queen’s coronation in 1953. The collection includes gold coins, silver coins and more recently, some coins have been minted in platinum.

The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coins and silver coins are the sixth in The Royal Mint’s, The Queen’s Beasts coin series to be released, so there are only four more coins left to be released by The Royal Mint from this new and exclusive collection.

Collectors may wish to buy The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin as a further addition to their series, but this commemorative gold coin is also an attractive item for those wishing to buy gold and silver bullion to add to their investment portfolio.

The historical background of The Falcon of The Plantagenets Coin

The newly minted The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin is the sixth edition in this exclusive coin series and is representative of one of Queen Elizabeth II’s ancestors. The Falcon of The Plantagenets, true to its name, came to the queen via the great Plantagenet King Edward III, as he selected the falcon as his heraldic beast, to represent his enjoyment of one of his favourite hobbies, hawking.

It is also well known that the heraldic beast of the falcon is closely linked to King Edward III’s great-great-grandson, Edward IV. During Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, like the rest of the sculptures, the falcon was kept white but the shield portrayed a painted badge featuring a second white falcon inside a golden, open ‘fetterlock’ or padlock.

The history of the gold ‘fetterlock’ is an ancient one that goes back to medieval times and it was even adopted by the Houses of York and Lancaster, whose members were direct descendants from King Edward III’s younger sons, John of Gaunt and Edmund Langley.

The fetterlocks are also representative of the bearer’s right to the British throne. In the case of John of Gaunt and Edmund Langley, their fetterlock on their shield were always displayed closed, which meant that they didn’t have a claim to the throne. Whereas Richard, Edward IV’s son, was gifted the heraldic shield that featured the Plantagenet white falcon set against an open fetterlock, referencing how his father took the throne.

It was not until Henry VII took Elizabeth of York as his wife, thus putting an end to the Wars of the Roses, by uniting the great Northern houses of York and Lancaster, that he frequently used the falcon symbol which was also another favourite of Queen Elizabeth I.

Different versions of The Falcon of The Plantagenets Coin

The intricate detailing of the Falcon of the Plantagenets design in both gold and silver was crafted from Jody Clark and features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. Each version of The Falcon of The Plantagenets coin has been finished to a high standard of quality using particularly polished dies to present the coins at their best.

The Falcon of The Plantagenets commemorative coin has been struck in two stunning variations, gold and silver bullion. The gold coin’s inscription is ‘The Falcon of The Plantagenets’, 1oz, Fine Gold, 999.9, 2019 and the silver coin’s inscription is the same apart from its reference to 2oz, Fine Silver, 999.9, 2019.

The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin purity level is 999.9, contains 31.1g of fine gold and measures 32.69mm in diameter. The denomination value comes to £100 with 0 per cent VAT and investors will be pleased to hear that this coin is CGT free.

The Falcon of The Plantagenets silver coin purity level is also 999.9, containing 62.2g of fine silver and measuring approximately 38.61 in diameter. The silver coin’s denomination value is £5, however, you will have the 20 per cent VAT to pay on the silver coin, although it does have the advantage of being CGT free.

Other coins available from The Queen’s Beast’s Range

The Falcon of The Plantagenets gold coin is the sixth in its series and as such, is part of a commemorative collection which is an attractive prospect for any gold and silver bullion investor. There is still time to start buying the rest of the set from The Queen’s Beasts and there are five more coins that have yet to be released to look forward to. 

The Lion of England

The first coin that was released in March 2016 was The Lion of England which is arguably one of the most recognised and esteemed symbols of England. Whether you prefer it on your favourite football or rugby player’s shirt, you can now appreciate the intricate and patriotic design in your gold and silver bullion coin collection too!

You can buy The Lion of England coins in either 1oz gold or 2oz silver as well as a 10oz silver coin which is among the largest silver coins to be struck by The Royal Mint. The Lion of England coin has also been struck in 999.5 fine platinum.

The Unicorn of Scotland

The second coin that was issued by The Royal Mint in November 2017 was The Unicorn of Scotland, celebrating the country of Scotland and its role in Great Britain throughout the ages. Scotland’s national heraldic beast, the unicorn, has a fascinating lineage and mystic following dating as far back as 1100 AD, as well as being a popular choice for a colourful birthday cake in recent years.

The gold and silver coins are available in similar specifications to The Falcon of The Plantagenets coins and a remarkable fact about the silver coins in The Queen’s Beasts collection is that they have been struck from two troy ounces of fine silver, which puts an even greater value on these exclusive items.

The Red Dragon of Wales

The third coin in The Queen’s Beasts collection features The Red Dragon of Wales, which pays homage to Welsh history and legends to the time of King Arthur. The Red Dragon of Wales is an iconic image of the country and will make a happy addition to a gold and silver collection. It is also available as a 1oz gold coin and a 2oz silver coin with 999.9 purity level, alongside a platinum variation of 999.5.

The Griffin of Edward III

The fourth edition of The Queen’s Beasts collection was The Griffin of Edward III, which has been associated with the virtues of strength, courage and vigilance throughout its use as a royal heraldic beast which was started by Edward III. Similar to the rest in the collection, it has been minted as a 1oz gold coin and a 2oz silver coin but there is also a platinum coin available to buy in 999.5 purity level fine platinum.

The Black Bull of Clarence

The fifth coin to be circulated by The Royal Mint from the series is The Black Bull of Clarence, which again has come to Queen Elizabeth II via her ‘Yorkist’ ancestors. The queen is descended from the first English king, Edward IV, from The House of York and legend, has it that he took the bull as a heraldic beast alongside his brother, Richard III who was the last king of York.

The Black Bull of Clarence originates from Roger Mortimer, who was a descendant of the Duke of Clarence and the sculpture at the coronation bore the Royal Arms on its shield which has been used for over 200 years. The commemorative coin is available in a 1oz gold coin and a 2oz silver coin, similar to the rest in the collection.

Coming soon from The Queen’s Beast’s commemorative coin collection

If you have only just started your collection of The Queen’s Beasts commemorative coins, then there are more coins to follow The Falcon of The Plantagenets. Stay tuned for future releases:

• 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

Like The Falcon of The Plantagenets, the remaining bullion coins will be available to buy from UKBullion in due course.

Why collectors buy gold bullion and silver commemorative coins from UKBullion

For starters, investing in gold coins from the Royal Mint bullion coin collections are a good idea because as the economy fluctuates, the value of gold remains fairly stable against inflation and it has a history of increasing in value during uncertain times.

Remember, the main value in investing in gold and silver bullion coins, which are very common, is that you will be able to know the exact weight, value and quality of the metal, such as the coins mentioned in this article, 999.9 fine gold. The difference with collections like The Queen’s Beasts is that not only do you receive the monetary value of the precious metal, but the coin is also a little more valuable due to its rarity and interest as a collector’s item.

Of course, we are all holding out hope that the gold coins we invest in will be the ones to become a lot more valuable over time as their rarity and demand increase! Unfortunately, we are yet to develop a reliable crystal ball to determine exactly which coins hold such glittering futures, but there has already been a significant uplift in the value of previous Queen’s Beast coins so we wouldn’t be too surprised if the Falcon followed suit.

The Falcon of the Plantagenets is just one of a wide range of gold bullion coins and silver coins available from UKBullion. We also stock gold sovereigns, authentic antique gold coins dating as far back as Queen Victoria, gold Britannia coins and more.

Don’t forget there are other commemorative bullion coins you can buy from previous collections struck by The Royal Mint. 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.