2017 Queen's Beast
Dragon of Wales
2 oz 0.9999 Silver Coin
Coins are in Mint shape - have never left Mint tubes
Coin will be carefully removed from tube and placed in a direct fit capsule for lasting protection and enjoyment
The third coin in the Queen's Beast series features the mighty Red Dragon of Wales clutching a shield with its claws. The Celtic dragon represents sovereignty and power. The Welsh dragon was used in the Royal Arms in the sixteenth century and the Red Dragon of Cadwallader is the emblem on the national flag of Wales. The red dragon gained popularity due to it supposed link of being the battle standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. Its association with these leaders along with other evidence from archeology, literature, and documentary history led many to suppose that it evolved from an earlier Romano-British national symbol. During the reigns of the Tudor monarchs, the red dragon was used as a supporter in the English Crown's coat of arms.
At the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen, ten heraldic beasts stood guard. The Queen’s Beasts, sculpted by James Woodford RA for the coronation ceremony held in Westminster Abbey in 1953, stand six feet tall. The heraldic creatures symbolized the various strands of royal ancestry brought together in a young woman about to be crowned queen. Each proud beast, used as a heraldic badge by generations that went before her, was inspired by the King’s Beasts of Henry VIII that still line the bridge over the moat at his Hampton Court Palace.
Mintage is to be determined.
