Silver Ounce 2018 Royal Arms, Coin from Gibraltar - detailed information

Gibraltar is a small British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered to the north by Spain. Its currency is the Gibraltar Pound, which is locally interchangeable with the Pound Sterling, to which it is pegged at par; however, the Gibraltar Pound is legal tender only in Gibraltar and not in the United Kingdom.

The territory has also authorised some mints to issue commemorative and bullion coins under its jurisdiction. These latter are usually in standard bullion sizes, such as one ounce of silver - designated as 1 oz Ag, where Ag is abbreviated from Argentum, the Latin word for silver.

This coin is part of a Scottsdale Mint series featuring the Royal Arms of England.

In the late 12th century, the Plantagenet King Richard I of England, affectionately known as King Richard the Lionheart, displayed the first-ever Royal Arms of England. The escutcheon (or shield) originally bore one or two lions, but a third lion was eventually added. King Richard the Lionheart’s Royal Arms of England three lions design would come to serve as the symbol of the King of England and the personal coat of arms of nearly every Plantagenet King for the next approximately 200 years.

King Richard’s three lions remained until 1369 when the Plantagenet King Edward III altered the Royal Arms design to include the fleur-de-lis, reputedly in an effort to strengthen his claim to the French crown. Beyond the aesthetic appeal of the coin itself, the incorporation of the Tudor Rose into the design signifies the passing of the Plantagenet Dynasty and the birth of the Tudor Dynasty. In the War of the Roses Henry Tudor (King Henry VII) was victorious over King Richard III, the last Plantagenet King.