Part lion and part eagle, the griffin combines the characteristics of the king of the beasts and the air to create a creature more powerful than either. Appearing in English heraldry from the twelfth century onwards, it was elevated to royal status by Edward III – the epitome of medieval English kingship and founder of the Order of the Garter based at Windsor Castle. Recast on a coin, the Griffin of Edward III completes the line-up of ten heraldic beasts present at Her Majesty The Queen’s coronation in 1953.