{"id":2374,"date":"2018-09-25T17:14:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T16:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ukbullion.com\/blog\/?p=2374"},"modified":"2019-02-21T12:45:39","modified_gmt":"2019-02-21T12:45:39","slug":"the-queens-beasts-new-release-introducing-the-falcon-of-the-plantagenets-coinsse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ukbullion.com\/blog\/the-queens-beasts-new-release-introducing-the-falcon-of-the-plantagenets-coinsse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Queen\u2019s Beasts New Release \u2013 Introducing the Falcon of The Plantagenets Coins"},"content":{"rendered":"

The much-anticipated arrival from the Royal Mint\u2019s, \u2018The Queen\u2019s Beasts\u2019 gold coin series, The Falcon of The Plantagenets<\/span><\/a>, is now available for collectors and investors to pre-order in a gold or silver edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/a>, coins which have proven to be very popular with investors and collectors since they were released back in May 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Queen\u2019s Beasts?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are 10 heraldic beasts named \u2018The King\u2019s Beasts\u2019, 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 \u2018The King\u2019s Beasts\u2019. However, there are other such depictions of these royal beasts at St George\u2019s Chapel at Windsor Castle too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story of \u2018The King\u2019s Beasts\u2019 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward to 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s 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\u2019s genealogy, with each shield showing a badge or coat of arms from one of Queen Elizabeth\u2019s ancestors. In some cases, the beasts themselves would have once featured as physical heraldic supporters on the Royal Arms of England. <\/span><\/p>\n

James Woodford was paid the grand sum of \u00a32,750 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\u2019s temporary Western annexe, which was constructed for the ceremony, to guard Queen Elizabeth II as she entered the abbey for her coronation. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was decided that The Queen\u2019s 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:<\/span><\/p>\n