GREAT BRITAIN. Elizabeth II, 1952-.
200 Pounds, 2019. The Royal Mint. Proof 'Una & the Lion'.
Fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right; ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·200 POUNDS·. Design by Jody Clark. / Crowned and mantled Queen Victoria directing Lion left, DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS (May God direct my steps) above, date in Latin numerals and engraver's mark below.

The Queen depicted as Una and the Lion was a controversial design issued at a time of great uncertainty. Victoria had only just turned 18 when she became Queen and Empress of the world's leading empire at the time, with dominions scattered around the globe. All eyes were on her to deliver the huge task of leading the empire to future prosperity. The depiction of Victoria as Lady Una, calmly directing the enormous beast by her side, the Lion (representing England), was a clever analogy, using the characters from Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queene (written in 1590). It was the first time in history a British monarch was depicted on a coin as a fictional character.

As part of the Great Engravers series the coin offered here has caused equal amounts of admiration and frustration due to the ultra-low mintage and low-profile marketing from the Royal Mint. The mintage being just 225 pieces it was immediately sold out and now coins are already selling for £20,000 on the secondary market, leaving most collectors with little chance of ever getting one. This will be one to keep for the future, the Una and the Lion being perhaps the most iconic of all British coin designs, the original 5 Pound piece struck in 1839 now selling for over £200,000, one of the best performers of all British investment coins. Make sure to get yours in a 70 grade as perfect examples will perform the best. This coin comes with its original box and certificate of authenticity #53, as issued by the Royal Mint. In secure plastic holder, graded by NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo, certification number 4863748-006.

Mintage: 225
Weight: 62.42 g.
Composition: 999/1000 Gold

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