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.

The Queen’s Panther on the Moat Bridge is the last royal beast that visitors encounter before entering the palace. For this coin, collection artist David Lawrence has depicted the panther in its traditional ‘incensed’ form, with flames coming from its mouth and ears to represent its fragrant and allegedly enticing breath. Unlike the Seymour Panther, which holds a shield bearing the Seymour wings, the Queen’s Panther holds the Royal Coat of Arms impaled (or split in two) by that of the Seymour family.

The use of the greyhound originated with Edward III, and the House of Lancaster. It was adopted by Henry VIII’s grandfather, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, where it picked up the moniker “White Greyhound of Richmond”. It’s inclusion into the King’s Beasts is another example of Henry VIII’s use of heraldic imagery to make sure everyone was aware of his birthright and legitimacy, something extremely important in a period when claims to the throne were always feared. Depicting a hyper-alert dog sitting down, its paw on top of a shield bearing the three lions of England in passant guardant pose. The shield is one used for jousting, and you can see the rounded notch in the top corner where a lance would be rested for the charge.

The Queen’s Lion is 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.

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.