First published in 1590, Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene is a classic work of medieval English literature. At over 36,000 lines long its six books contain one of the longest poems in the English language, believed to be an allegory for the life of Queen Elizabeth I.

The East India Company Collections Ltd.’s precious metal coin collection sees Spenser’s tales of honour, chivalry, love and virtue reimagined by one of the world’s leading coin designers, Joel Iskowitz, whose series of coin designs captures the drama and heroism of Book One of Spenser’s epic.