The PCGS Certified 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion 1oz Gold Coin is the first coin in the Royal Mint’s Queen’s Beasts series, struck in one troy ounce of 999.9 fine gold with Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and graded by PCGS. As UK legal tender with a £100 face value, it is exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents and VAT-exempt as investment gold.

The PCGS 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion of England 1oz Gold Coin design

When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, ten plaster statues by the sculptor James Woodford stood at the entrance. Each beast stood for a line of royal descent behind the Queen. The Royal Mint turned them into a bullion series that ran from 2016 to 2021, with every design by Jody Clark, who also created the fifth definitive portrait of the Queen used on the obverse.

Jody Clark’s crowned Lion of England stands guard over a shield bearing the Royal Arms. The lion has represented English monarchs since the twelfth century and is the senior beast of the ten.

The statues behind the series

The original plasters are now held by the Canadian Museum of History, and stone replicas stand at Kew Gardens, where you can still see the beasts the coins are based on.

PCGS grading of the 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion of England 1oz Gold Coin

The Lion was the series opener and sold quickly on release, so certified examples are the usual way collectors secure a clean one today.

PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, is a widely used independent coin-grading service. It verifies that a coin is genuine, assigns a grade on the 70-point Sheldon scale and encapsulates it in a sealed holder. Bullion coins are graded Mint State, abbreviated MS, with 70 the highest possible mark.

The grade of the coin supplied is the one stated on its PCGS label. Images are for illustration and grades may vary, so please contact our team if you would like a specific grade.

PCGS 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion of England 1oz Gold Coin specifications

Why buy a PCGS 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion of England 1oz Gold Coin?

As coin one of eleven, the Lion is where every Queen’s Beasts collection starts, and a graded example fixes its condition from the series’ first year.

It is also a full ounce of CGT-exempt, VAT-exempt gold, so the metal value underpins the collector interest.

Why buy 1oz gold coins?

The one-ounce coin is the standard unit of the gold market. Because gold is priced per troy ounce, a 1oz coin’s metal value is simple to follow, and the larger size usually carries a lower premium per gram than fractional coins. Compared with a large bar, a holding of 1oz coins can still be sold a coin at a time, so you keep flexibility without paying fractional-coin premiums.

Frequently asked questions

Which coin began the Queen’s Beasts series?

The Lion of England, issued in 2016. Ten beasts followed, ending with the 2021 Completer Coin.

Who designed the Queen’s Beasts?

Jody Clark designed all ten beasts and the fifth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.