Saint Helena and the East India Company extend their Una & the Lion bullion series with a third release

Dating back to Edmund Spencer’s 16th century epic poem, ‘The Faerie Queen’ the tale of Una and the Lion has woven itself into British history and culture ever since. Appearing on a now classic William Wyon coin from 1839, produced by the Royal Mint, it’s returned to prominence over the last few years with a stunning new version of the original by the Royal Mint, and with a series of contemporary reimaginings by The East India Company.

The third of those has just debuted, and again employs the talented Glyn Davies to do the design work. We enjoyed the 2020 coin, but think they’ve improved since, with this 2022 issue being the best yet. While the 2021 coin took design cues from the 2020, this latest issue is more serene, and complex, with a terrific stylised background implying the generation of life by the radiance emanating from Una. Staring into each other’s eyes, seemingly in respect and admiration, it’s a different take on the story, and one that has, in our view at least, worked beautifully. Davies is to be congratulated for his take on the classic tale.

While there are proof versions, we’re looking at the bullion formats here, and there are two of them. Both are 0.999 silver, with one the popular one-ounce weight, the other double that. As for those proof versions, there are 2oz, 5 oz and 1 kg silver coins, along with a 1 oz 0.9999 gold, all carrying the same design. In addition, there are 1 oz silver, 1/4 oz gold, and a 0.5 g minigold, which feature a cropped version of the artwork for greater clarity on the smaller diameters. It’s interesting that the 1 oz silver proof and 1 oz silver bullion variants are different, so you may want to nab both. Available now, this is an LPM exclusive.

UNA & THE LION by EIC

Una is a beautiful princess whose parents and kingdom are captured by a ferocious dragon. She sets out on a quest to free them from the dragon’s clutches, taking her on an epic journey of battles, adventure and romance.

During her quest, she faces many challenges that test her humility and determination, including being confronted by a fierce lion. The lion is so taken by her beauty and purity that he abandons his attack on her, becoming her protector.

Una enlists the help of a knight to help her slay the Dragon. Steadfast and true to her cause, Una’s virtues inspire the knight to slay the dragon and fulfil his destiny as the hero St George, the patron saint of England.

This epic tale is the creation of celebrated English poet Edmund Spencer. Written in 1590 the story of Una and the Lion has stood the test of time to become a symbol of beauty strength, honour and endurance.