Platinum Investment Coin The Queen's Beasts The Griffin 1 Oz 2018

Platinum one ounce coin from "The Queen´s Beasts" series

The successful "The Queen's Beasts" series of coins from the Royal British Mint brings a coin minted in 99.95% platinum weighing one ounce (31.1 g) for 2018. "The Queen's Beasts" is dedicated to the ten heraldic animals of Queen Elizabeth II - the Lion of England, the Griffin of Edward III, the falcon of the Plantagenets, the black bull of the Dukes 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.

The reverse of the coin depicts the Griffin of Edward III holding in his claws a shield depicting the tower of Windsor Castle with the royal standard - the birthplace of Edward III. The tower is flanked by two oak branches under the royal crown. The coin's rim is completed by the inscription "GRIFFIN OF EDWARD III", the weight "1 oz", the fineness "FINE PLATINUM, 999.5", the year of issue "2018" and the initials of the designer "JC".
The Queen's Beasts is a series of ten heraldic sculptures created by sculptor James Woodford to celebrate the Queen's coronation in 1953. Their stylized form for the coin series was created by the talented engraver Jody Clark.
The griffin is a mythical animal, depicted as a creature with the torso, hind legs and tail of a lion and the head, wings and talons of an eagle. It represented courage and strength combined with prudence, vigilance and speed. The griffin was closely associated with Edward III, whose likeness was borne on his private seal. Edward III was descended from the Plantagenets and was one of the most important English kings of the Middle Ages. His claim to the French throne was the pretext for the Hundred Years' War, in which England lost almost all of the territories it controlled in France.

The obverse shows the traditional portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by the same artist who designed the reverse, with the inscription "ELIZABETH II. D.G.REG.F.D." and the denomination "100 POUNDS".