A new series of coins brings the Queen’s Beasts onto money again, but this set isn’t from the Royal Mint.

Just weeks after the Royal Mint’s popular bullion series featuring the 10 heraldic statues representing the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II concluded, the Pobjoy Mint launched its versions, with a series of ringed-bimetallic £2 coins being issued on behalf of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The Pobjoy Mint coins are being issued to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th birthday in 2021.

The Queen’s Beasts are depicted as the royal supporters of England, with each one in a design consisting of the heraldic beast supporting a shield bearing the badge or arms of a family associated with the ancestry of Queen Elizabeth II. The original statues were commissioned to stand at an entrance of Westminster Abbey for her coronation in 1953.

Beginning of the series

The first coin in the new collection features the Lion of England, the crowned golden lion that has been one of the supporters of the royal arms since the reign of Edward IV. The coin shows a shield next to the lion bearing the arms of the United Kingdom as they have been since Queen Victoria’s accession in 1837.

The reverse of the coin is inscribed THE LION OF ENGLAND at the top and has the denomination inscribed at the bottom.

The obverse of the coin features the Pobjoy Mint’s exclusive effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

A Brilliant Uncirculated version, with copper ring and nickel center, is available, along with a Proof .925 fine silver version featuring gold plating to mimic the ringed feature. Both coins weigh 12 grams and measure 28.6 millimeters in diameter.

The base metal version has a mintage limit of 2,750 pieces and retails for $29.95 each. The silver coin has a mintage of 475 pieces, and retails for $79.95 each.

For more information, or to order the coin, visit the Pobjoy Mint website, www.pobjoy.com.

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