Queen's Beasts Black Bull 1oz Gold Coin 2018
The fifth 1oz gold coin of the 10-part Queen's Beasts series, the "Black Bull of Clarence" is available. The Queen's Beasts Gold Series is issued by the prestigious Royal Mint. These unique coins have high appreciation potential and are therefore popular with both investors and collectors.
Queen’s Beasts gold coins are brilliantly designed and represent a part of English Heraldry.
Fine Weight and Fineness
The Queen's Beasts Black Bull 1oz gold coin is issued with a fine weight of 31.103 grams, a very high fineness of 999.9/1000 and a diameter of 32.69 mm.
|
Weight |
Fineness |
Diameter |
Nominal Value |
|
1oz |
999.9/1000 |
32.69 mm |
100 GBP |
Story
The Queen's Beasts are ten heraldic statues representing the ancestry of Queen Elizabeth II.
Each of the statues shows a heraldic animal with a shield. The coat of arms or badge on the shield shows the connection to the ancestry of the Queen. Each of these families is involved in the development of the United Kingdom.
The heraldic statues were created in 1953 on the occasion of the coronation of Elizabeth II. They stood in front of the western extension of Westminster Abbey.
The 1.83m statues were created by sculptor James Woodford (1893-1976).
In 2016, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Mint introduced a series of gold and silver coins with the theme "The Queen's Beasts". The Black Bull gold and silver coin is the 2018 issue. The gold coins are issued in 1 oz and ¼ oz, the silver coins in 2 oz.
The bull is one of the most English and "earthy" of heraldic symbols and is associated with courage, transformation and passion. This could be the reason why Edward IV. chose the bull as his heraldic symbol.
The Black Bull of Clarence shows how determined Edward IV was to continue his royal lineage. He was the first king of England from the House of York and a significant figure in the "Rose Wars". The war of the roses was the conflict between the rival houses of Lancaster and York, which had been contending for the throne. In 1461, Edward IV took power from Henry VI, overturning a troubled Lancastrian rule. The first part of Edwards rule was marred in violence with the War of the Roses.
Edwards lost the crown for a brief time to Henry VI in 1470. However, Edward recaptured the throne and defeated the Lancastrian forces again in 1471 at the battle of Tewkesbury. Henry was imprisoned and executed in the Tower of London. The victory at Tewkesbury brought political stability to England until Edwards death in 1483.
After Edward's death, his brother Richard III followed him to the throne, and was defeated in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor. Henry married Edward's daughter Elisabeth to finally finish the Rose Wars. The Tudor rose has both red leaves - the color of the house Lancaster - as well as white for the symbol of the house York.
The following statues are available:
The lion of England
The Griffin of Edward III
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
The white horse of Hanover
Appearance
The motif page of the Queen's Beasts "Black Bull by Clarence" shows an erect bull with a shield that depicts the arms of the monarch houses Lancaster and Tudor. The shield shows three white lilies in the upper right and lower left as a symbol for the claim on the throne of France. In the upper left and lower right three superimposed lions are depicted, the symbolic animals of Richard the Lionheart.
The background of the motif, as with the previously issued coins of the series, show filigree intertwined limbs, reminiscent of a chain mail from the armed forces.
The border features a smooth edge area, which separates the motif from the edge bar. The upper and lower part of the motif partially protrudes the edge bar. The inscription reads: "Black Bull of Clarence" • 1oz • Fine Gold • 9999 • 2018 • JC ". The initials "JC" stand for Jody Clark, who designed the motif page of The Queen's Beasts Gold Coins.
The reverse side depicts Queen Elizabeth II as a motif. The background consists of a rough grained surface, which is very unusual for a coin. The marginal label reads "Elizabeth II • D • G • Reg • F • D • 100 Pounds".
Details
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Royal Mint
Year of issue: 2018
Fineness: 999.9/1000
Fine weight: 31.103 g
Scratch resistance: Poor
Nominal value: 100 pounds
| Metal | Gold |
| Form | Gold Coin |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Manufacturer | The Royal British Mint |
| Series | Queen's Beasts |
| Purity | 999.9/1000 |
| Fineweight | 31.10 gram |
| Gross Weight | 31.10 gram |
| Denomination (oz) | 1 oz |
| Year of issue | 2018 |
| Grade | Brilliant |
| Condition | Circulated |
| Face value | 100 Pounds |
| Thickness | 2.79 mm |
| Diameter | 32.69 mm |
| Packaging | single in Pouch |
| Packaging Unit | 10 per tube |