2017 Great Britain £100 1-oz Gold Queen Beast's Lion NGC PF70UC Early Releases

This Gold Lion Roars as the First of the Queen's Beasts!

This seems like it's right out of the pages of Harry Potter, but when Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, there were actually ten fantastic beasts that guarded the entrance to Westminster Abbey. The Queen's Beasts, as they were called, were each six-foot tall statues that were designed to represent the rich history and heritage of the monarchy.

To honor these royal protectors and celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Great Britain's Royal Mint has released a series featuring The Queen's Beasts – ten coins for the ten creatures that stood guard outside her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953. The first coin in this release is the Lion of England, a symbol that traces it history all the way back to King Richard I. Known as Richard the Lionheart for his reputation both as a warrior and his devotion to chivalry, Richard first used a lion as his symbol in 1198 and it has been part of the Royal Coat of Arms ever since.

Here's your chance to bring the Queen's Beasts Lion home in one full ounce of 99.99% gold, with a reverse designed by the talented Jody Clark, Royal Mint Engraver and designer of the current effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Your coin has a legal-tender value of £100 (one hundred pounds) and has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in flawless Proof-70 Ultra Cameo (PF70UC) condition, a distinction that means your perfectly-graded coin will have ZERO imperfections – showing all features and fields exactly as the engraver and mint intended.

Your proof will also be certified as an Early Releases (ER) coin by NGC, meaning that it was received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository within the first 30 days of the coin's release. Collectors seek out these coins because they are produced with new dies and considered to have sharper strikes and deeper mirrors than those that are struck later. Also, the population of coins labeled as Early Releases is only a fraction of the total mintage.

Famous for his knightly manner and his military leadership during the Third Crusade, King Richard I was one of the most popular monarchs to ever reign in England. The hero of countless romantic ballads and legends, his exploits have been recounted over and over again in such stories as Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and in the many tales of Robin Hood. Despite his reputation as a great king, however, Richard spent a total of only 6 months in England during his decade-long reign!

When you hold this wonderful coin in your hand and drink in its breathtaking designs, you'll understand why it and each entry in the Queen's Beasts series that that has followed has proven incredibly popular. Unfortunately, only 1,000 of these Gold Lions were minted – an incredibly small number when you consider the Queen's popularity among collectors around the world. Add this special Royal Mint Proof to your collection now before they're gone for good!

• LATEST RELEASE IN SERIES PAYING TRIBUTE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II – Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family remain as popular as ever. This exciting series from the world-renowned British Royal Mint offers a new take on her reign by commemorating the ten fantastic beasts that stood guard outside Westminster Abbey on her coronation day in 1953.

• LEGAL TENDER AND LOTS OF GOLD – It's a large weighty coin struck in one full ounce of 99.99% gold and bears a denomination of £100 (one hundred Pounds).

• GRADED IN PERFECT PROOF CONDITION – Your 2017 Great Britain Queen's Beasts Lion of England One-Ounce Gold coin has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in flawless Proof-70 Ultra Cameo (PF70UC) condition.

• KEY EARLY RELEASES CERTIFICATION – Your proof will also be certified as An Early releases (ER) coin by NGC, meaning that it was received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository within the first 30 days of the coin's release.

• LOW LIMITED EDITION – The Royal Mint has set the limit edition for these coins at just 1,000.

Between the expected demand by both coin collectors and gold bugs, you'll have to be fast to add the Lion of England to your collection! Don't wait for our supply to vanish into the tapestry of history, order yours today!