For more than 800 years, the Royal Arms of England has featured one steady design element: the Three Lions. First adopted by King Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart, the Royal Arms of England has been adapted over time to identify the royal claims of various monarchs and the nations within the kingdom. Only the Three Lions have remained steady over the course of time.
Highlights:
- Arrives with an individual protective plastic flip or a mint tube of 10 coins!
- 1st-ever issue of the British Royal Arms 1 oz Platinum coins!
- Contains 1 Troy oz of .9995 pure platinum in BU condition.
- The face value of 100 Pound sterling (GBP) is backed by Britain.
- Queen Elizabeth II features on the obverse.
- Modern Royal Arms of England on the reverse.
- Design created by Timothy Noad.
King Richard I often carried shields and colors into battle with his English armies that included one or two lions. The lion had been used by his father, King Henry II, in heraldic shields as well as other previous Saxon and Danish kings to rule over portions of England. Richard I eventually adopted a design that featured a field of red with three golden lions in the passant guardant pose as his coat of arms. This became the first officially recognized Royal Arms of England. It is still used in the arms to this day.
Obverse
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history and features in a fifth-generation effigy on the obverse of these 2020 British Royal Arms 1 oz Platinum Coins. This depiction of the Queen shows her in right-profile relief wearing the George IV State Diadem Crown. This particular crown contains a stunning 1,333 diamonds weighing more than 300 karats in total.
Reverse
Timothy Noad designed the modern twist on the Royal Arms of England found on the reverse of 2020 British Royal Arms 1 oz Platinum Coins. In this depiction, the quartered shield features the Three Lions of England in the upper-left and lower-right quadrants. The upper-right quadrant has the rampant Lion of Scotland design from the Scottish Coat of Arms, while the lower-left quadrant has the Harp of Ireland representing Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. The heraldic beasts of England and Scotland support the quartered shield with the crowned Lion of England on the left and the Unicorn of Scotland on the right.
History
The Royal Arms of England has changed numerous times in British history. Richard Is Three Lions design was in use from 1198 to 1340, while this modern version has been in use without change since 1837 when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne.
