2021 Queen’s Beasts – Falcon of the Plantagenets £2 BU

The tenth and final coin in the stunning series of £2 Bi-Metal coins featuring the Queen’s Beasts. The coin, issued on behalf of the British Indian Ocean Territory, features The Falcon of the Plantagenets. As a symbol of freedom and victory, The Falcon of the Plantagenets is passed to the Queen through Edward III, who used it first from the House of Plantagenet as his badge due to this love of hawking.

The Falcon of the Plantagenets descended to Edward IV, who then took it on as his personal badge, with the falcon standing within an open fetterlock. Originally depicted as closed, the change to open referred to the struggle Edward IV had to obtain the throne. Falcons are known for the formidable speed and strength, often symbolising ambition, aspiration, dominance, and victory. In some cultures, the falcon is associated with the sun standing for its light and positive energy. The design on the coin shows a side profile of a Falcon next to Edward IV’s personal shield. The shield shows a falcon sitting on top a slightly open and golden fetterlock. The Queen’s Beasts are ten heraldic statues representing the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II which are depicted as the Royal supporters of England with each one consisting of a 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 Majesty’s Coronation in 1953. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 95th Birthday in 2021 and we therefore felt that a series of coins featuring the Queen’s Beasts would be a perfect tribute to celebrate this event, a milestone that no other Monarch has reached. The obverse of the coin features the Pobjoy Mint exclusive effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.