The Queen’s Beasts are gone, Myths & Legends storms in with the fabled tale of Robin Hood

One of the finest bulion coin series in recent years, the ten-coin ‘Queen’s Beasts’ range kicked the Royal Mint’s bullion offerings to a whole new level of popularity. Clearly, the task of following it was never going to be an easy one, and it seems the mint is to dip into the deep wellspring of myths and legends that make the British Isles so interesting in literary circles.

First to drop will be that most famous of fictional outlaws, Robin Hood. Despite a less than firm basis in reality (and numerous butcherings of the tale by Hollywood), the story of the bandit that robbed from the rich to give to the poor is as popular today, and perhaps as relevant, as it’s ever been. It’s an obvious choice for a new Myths & Legends series, despite the intense competition.

Just the two variants available at launch, although there may be more in future, just like Queen’s Beasts. A 0.999 silver and a 0.9999 gold, both an ounce in weight and both with an unlimited mintage, will launch the new series, each carrying the same artwork. The design is a good one, depicting Robin Hood, longbow drawn back, high in a tree, just as he’s often depicted in lore. There’s a border filled with the inscribed composition, but it passes under part of the main artwork, which looks pretty good.

Available to order from today, this could well be the follow up to continue the momentum started by the popularity of Queen’s Beasts. We’ve had a look at some Government documents, and there should be Maid Marian and Little John designs to follow next, a ten ounce silver and one-ounce platinum variant of this one, as well as a few other nice surprises in 2021. An interesting year. This one will be available to buy from the 15th March and should appear everywhere from there. The only place we’ve seen it to view is at Auragentum, but again, it can’t be purchased until next Monday.

ROBIN HOOD

Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depicted as being of noble birth, and in modern retellings he is sometimes depicted as having fought in the Crusades before returning to England to find his lands taken by the Sheriff. In the oldest known versions he is instead a member of the yeoman class. Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is said to have robbed from the rich and given to the poor.

Through retellings, additions, and variations, a body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood has been created. These include his lover, Maid Marian, his band of outlaws, the Merry Men, and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. His partisanship of the common people and his hostility to the Sheriff of Nottingham are early recorded features of the legend, but his interest in the rightfulness of the king is not, and neither is his setting in the reign of Richard I. He became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages, and the earliest known ballads featuring him are from the 15th century (1400s).

The historicity of Robin Hood is not proven and has been debated for centuries. There are numerous references to historical figures with similar names that have been proposed as possible evidence of his existence, some dating back to the late 13th century. At least eight plausible origins to the story have been mooted by historians and folklorists, including suggestions that “Robin Hood” was a stock alias used by or in reference to bandits.