Here, we’re having a quick round-up of the latest issues from the Royal Mint, which are additions to three of their longer running series. The latest Tudor Beast design is shown, as is the next Shēngxiào Lunar, and the third in the Myths & Legends collection. There are no real surprises here, with all closely following the design ethos of previous releases, but all are fine looking coins.

Not all the new ones are here. The sixth in the James Bond-themed Six Decades of 007 series has quietly slipped out, and we’ll add that to our Thematic Guide to Bond coins shortly. Also having debuted this week is the mints range of Diwali gold bars in 1 gram, 5g, and 20g forms, although minted bars are not really something we follow closely here.

All of these below are boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and we’ve also shown the cheap and collectible base-metal BU versions as well, in their neat gatefold blisterpacks. All the mintages are below, and for those unaware, we list the total mintage, with the LEP (Limited Edition Presentation, which is the solo-boxed version), in brackets.

Tudor Beasts returns with the seventh release in this ten-coin series. This David Lawrence designed series looks at the heraldic history of the Tudor Dynasty, more specifically, Henry VIII. Each coin is based on statues (King’s Beasts) on the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace, a beautiful building put up by Cardinal Thomas Wolseley from 1514, and gifted to Henry VIII. Sucking up to axe fan Henry was expensive, but you could always get more money. Growing a new head was a little more difficult…

This time it’s the Queen’s Panther, which is apparently the last beast that visitors see as they cross the bridge into the palace. The mint describes the panther as being in ‘incensed’ form, flames coming from its mouth and ears. This was meant to suggest a fragrant and enticing breath. This is the second panther design in this series, the major differentiator being the coat-of-arms on the shield. The Seymour Panther bears the Seymour wings, but this one depicts the Royal Coat of Arms split by the Seymour family shield.

Another very pretty design, this has been a terrific series. Our usual complaint of a border that’s too wide remains, but we’re quibbling here, and it remains a fine example of medieval heraldry styled for a modern audience. The two-coin silver set returns again, a favourite of ours. We don’t have images of the bullion variants yet, but they will no doubt be coming soon. Check out the full range in our Coin Series Profile.

Despite having dropped from their bullion schedule back in 2020, the proof range of Shēngxiào Lunars continues apace, and has enjoyed a more consistently higher quality, and certainly less controversial, design ethos since then. The latest is the 2025 Year of the Snake, and as a snake, I’m pleased to say this looks to be a terrific mix of the natural and stylised forms of art, probably my favourite of the range to date. This series is unusual in having a different artist for each release.

The snake is shown on a bed of leaves, and with what looks like a mix of finishes to depict a pattern running along its length. Chris Costello has done a fine job with this, in our opinion. It isn’t a complex design full of gimmickry, and is all the better for it. There’s a wide range of formats, skewed more towards gold, and the presence of the tiny 0.8 gram gold coin is a nice push for an affordable option, especially for an anniversary that prizes gold so much.

Myths & Legends is a mixed proof and bullion series released out of synch with each other. The coins are themed in threes, with the first trio featuring the legend of Robin Hood, the second the Arthurian story, and the latest is Beowulf. The bullion range has completed the first two triples, and the first of the Beowulf designs has been out for some time, but the proof range is a bit behind.

This latest issue is Little John, and is the third and last release in the Robin Hood range, which debuted in bullion form in 2022, and these followed the Arthurian designs, which came first in these formats. At least this trilogy, by Jody Clark, is out in proof form, as, in our view at least, it’s superior to following issues.

The smallest range of offerings, but all are at the more affordable end of the spectrum, although being Royal Mint proof coins, not exactly sparkling value. This Little John coin is another superb one, really capturing the character.

CORRECTION: It was pointed out to me that the King Arthur trio came out in proof form first. As we’ve covered them here in at least two articles, I’m not sure how I missed that, but it happens.