2017 1 oz British Gold Queen’s Beast Griffin Coin (BU)

In July 2015, Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark developed the first new effigy of Queen Elizabeth II for British coinage since the 1998 right-profile portrait from Ian Rank-Broadley. Clark, just 33 years old, became the youngest engraver to complete a portrait of the Queen for the Royal Mint and has also been tasked with the creation of the Queen’s Beast imagery.

The Queen’s Beast collection features a total of 10 designs, with releases scheduled to run through 2021. For 2017-2020, there will be two designs released each year, with one apiece from 2016 and in 2021. The Griffin of Edward III is the second release, and features the most powerful of mythical beasts.

On the reverse of the 2017 1 oz British Queen’s Beast Griffin Gold Coin is the image of the Griffin, standing behind the shield of Edward III and clutching it with its two front claws. A Griffin is a mythical beast rumored to be the most powerful, possessing the body of a lion (king of beasts) and the head and wings of an eagle (king of the birds).