Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In the oldest known versions, he is a member of the yeoman class. Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is said to have robbed from the rich and given to the poor.

A body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood was created. These include his lover, Maid Marian, his band of outlaws, the Merry Men, and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. He became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages, and the earliest known ballads featuring him are from the 15th century.

The historicity of Robin Hood is not proven and has been debated for centuries. There are numerous references to historical figures with similar names that have been proposed as possible evidence of his existence, some dating back to the late 13th century. At least eight plausible origins to the story have been mooted by historians and folklorists, including suggestions that “Robin Hood” was a stock alias used by or in reference to bandits.

Sorry to disappoint, but Arthur almost certainly wasn’t a real figure, king or otherwise. Contemporary accounts have no mention of him, and lots of the legend we know today were added in the Middle Ages, or even later. What little we had to go on was gleaned from various sources, including the Annales Cambriae, the Historia Brittonum, and the writings of Gildas. Arthur’s name also occurs in early poetic sources, such as Y Gododdin. None are considered reliable on this.

According to legend, King Arthur led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s fanciful and imaginative 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain) had Arthur establishing an empire over Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Gaul. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey’s Historia, including Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon, the wizard Merlin, Arthur’s wife Guinevere, the sword Excalibur, Arthur’s conception at Tintagel, his final battle against Mordred at Camlann, and final rest in Avalon.

“Beowulf,” an epic poem of Old English origin, chronicles the heroic exploits of its titular protagonist. Written by an anonymous poet, it highlights Beowulf’s valorous battles against three monstrous foes – Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon, all of which we suspect will be depicted on coins.

The story is set in pagan Scandinavia in the 6th century. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall Heorot has been under attack by the monster Grendel for twelve years. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel’s mother takes revenge and is in turn defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland and becomes king of the Geats. Fifty years later, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants cremate his body and erect a barrow on a headland in his memory.

The standard guilloche-patterned background is present on all of these variants, and indeed, on many Royal Mint bullion ranges. As with all the Royal Mint's portfolio, the effigy changed from the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, to the Martin Jennings portrait of King Charles III, after the latter's coronation in 2023.

All versions of the coin, apart from the platinum (which is yet to be determined) now have an unlimited mintage, and come encapsulated, without any other packaging or certification. That's to be expected for a bullion range, and each coin has comprehensive composition details inscribed in the border.