The Seymour Panther was a heraldic symbol belonging to Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. Given to her by the king from the treasury of royal beasts, it is thought that a panther had been part of the collection since the reign of Henry IV. As Henry VII’s mother, Margaret, was a Beaufort and a panther also appeared on the Duke of Beaufort’s arms, both Henry VII and Henry VIII used the beast as a symbol of their lineage.

Historically known as the ‘king of the beasts’, the Lion of England is one of the oldest and most iconic beasts in heraldic art and is a traditional symbol of bravery, strength and valour. Used on the shield of England for as long as one has existed, the lion first appeared in heraldry in the twelfth century. Chosen to represent pride and courage, the Lion of England on the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace held a shield bearing the impaled – or combined – arms of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, symbolising the strength of the couple’s union.

On choosing the Yale as a Royal Beast, Henry VIII sought to add credibility to his position on the throne by emphasising his family connection to the powerful Beaufort family. Known as a Beaufort beast ever since, it appears on the Moat Bridge as a Royal Beast for Jane Seymour, supporting a shield featuring her Coat of Augmentation. As Queen, Jane had no direct link to Beaufort heraldry herself, it is likely that Henry VIII transferred the Yale of Beaufort to his new wife.

Known for its representation of strength, power and wealth, the bull is one of the oldest animal symbols in the world. The Bull of Clarence was a mighty symbol associated with the House of York and is one of the noble beasts chosen by Henry VIII to flank the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace.

Before being chosen by Henry VIII to guard the Moat Bridge, the mythical unicorn wasn’t really known as a royal heraldic beast. Wild and untamed, the unicorn was believed to be the strongest of all creatures, so to have one set in stone outside the palace was a clear display of royal dominance. Many believed the unicorn also represented purity and fertility, and so by giving the beast to Jane Seymour, the king was perhaps hoping their marriage would be blessed with a son and heir.

This release portrays the fiery Tudor Dragon, which was adopted by the House of Tudor to highlight its royal Welsh heritage, dating back to the 7th century. The Red Dragon was a prominent emblem of Owen Tudor, Henry VIII’s great-grandfather.

Quite standard fare for the Royal Mint, this obverse design is common amongst their various ranges. The right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, by Jody Clark, gave way to the left-facing Martin Jennings effigy of King Charles III after the death of the former. The change in orientation is a British numismatic tradition, and not anything specific to this changeover.

The bullion versions of the coins use fundamentally the same design, but with a guilloche patterned background, as on the background field of the reverse face, and is primarily to make the coins more difficult to counterfeit. We show an example of each effigy, and the metal we don't show is exactly as you'd expect.