Tudor Beasts heads towards the finish line with the release today of the ninth proof coin design in the ten-coin series. A spiritual successor to the mints earlier Queen’s Beasts range, they’re based on statues (King’s Beasts) that adorn the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace, a beautiful building put up by Cardinal Thomas Wolseley from 1514, and gifted to Henry VIII as a sign of allegiance.

The latest issue is one of the best to date, and features the Queen’s Lion, a heraldic beast pivotal in English history. Its use dates back to the 12th century, having been introduced by the Normans after their invasion of 1066. The big cat symbolises courage and dignity, and is associated with royalty above all. The lion remains inextricably linked with England to this day, such as the national football team being known as the Three Lions, and having a shield bearing heraldic depictions of it.

David Lawrence has chosen to depict the lion in an aggressive guardant pose, and carrying a shield bearing the royal badge, Phoenix & Castle, of his third wife, Jane Seymour. Seymour died of complications after childbirth, aged just 29, devastating Henry. She was the only one of his six wives to receive a queen’s funeral, and Henry was buried beside her when he died a decade later. Whatever the tragic history, the coin is superb, and the posing is different enough from the earlier Lion of England coin.

No changes to the range of sizes on offer, although, yet again, we see a reduction in the mintages of many sizes. My personal favourite remains the two-coin silver set with the frosted, reverse-proof finish variant, which is paired with a standard proof, and of which only 250 sets will be offered. Prices have risen again, with the silver range runs from £123 (up £8) to £1,170 (up £75), while gold starts at £995 (up £130). The price rises are understandable given the inflation of the spot price. All are available to order now, and if you do, please click the banner link lower down, and we get a little sniff. Bullion variants are also out now, including the platinum, although this is the eighth to debut, as the first proof launch, the 2022 Seymour Panther, has yet to get its bullion variants. Check out the full range in our Coin Series Profile.