Full images of the Royal Mints stunning new Queens Beasts bullion coins.

As promised, below resides some high quality images of the superb new bullion coin from the Royal Mint. The second in the ten-coin Queens Beasts series, the coin is designed by one of the best in the market today, Jody Clark. This coin is titled Griffin of Edward III and it follows the Lion of England that launched earlier this year. Yet to come are the falcon of the Plantagenets, the black bull of Clarence, the yale of Beaufort, the white lion of Mortimer, the White Greyhound of Richmond, the red dragon of Wales, the unicorn of Scotland, and the white horse of Hanover.

Also confirmed is the availability of the ¼oz gold version as before. There is a small discrepancy in the press release hinting that there may be a one-tenth ounce gold being considered, but until we can get confirmation, consider it unlikely. We’d welcome this eminently more affordable size and will update when more information is uncovered.

Available very shortly, this for us is the finest bullion coin design of the year. Premiums aren’t great, often near the highest of their type and the silver range is limited to the one size (2oz), but outside of that, we reckon this is a future classic. Available singly, in tubes of 10, or bulk monster boxes.

The mythical Griffin was thought to be strong and courageous, a watchful guardian with keen sight and swift action. It was closely associated with Edward III, who ruled for more than 50 years, and appeared on his private seal.

Designer Jody Clark said, “I depicted the Griffin standing on its hind legs to show its unusual form. It has the body and hind legs of a lion, with the head and wings of an eagle. Elements like the oversized talons and the long sweeping lion’s tail emphasise the creature’s unique appearance. It was thought that this combination made the creature one of the most fierce of The Queen’s Beasts, as the eagle was said to be king of the birds and the lion was king of the beasts. I researched imagery of both lions and eagles in the wild to make sure that my design was realistic, but I was careful to keep a fantastical feel so there is still a sense of the original dramatic sculptures.”

In this new design, the pose of the Griffin reflects the convention of portraits alternating left and right on the UK coinage: whilst the Lion faced right, the Griffin faces left, a pattern that will continue through the collection. (from the Royal Mint press release)

Jody Clark is a member of The Royal Mint’s team of graphic designers and engravers. Jody has worked on notable projects such as the medals struck to celebrate the 2014 Ryder Cup and Nato Summit, whilst his contemporary interpretation of the iconic Britannia was chosen for the celebrated coin’s 2014 collection.

Jody is best known for creating the latest definitive coinage portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, released on United Kingdom coins in 2015, which features on these bullion coins.

In turning his talents to the reverse designs for The Queen’s Beast’s Bullion Range, Jody said: “I took inspiration from the original Queen’s Beasts, both the original versions in Canada and the Portland Stone replicas here that look out over Kew Gardens. They are very stylised and look imposing as statues, but the challenge was to capture this on the surface of a coin.

“I researched the origins of heraldry and coats of arms, and wanted to replicate the sense of strength and courage they were designed to convey. I created a sense of movement to make the beasts bold and dynamic, but the shields they guard still feature strongly as they are integral to the story.