The Royal Mint’s heraldic Tudor Beasts 10-coin series hits its mid-point, with the Seymour Unicorn

Now hitting the half-way mark, Tudor Beast’s, the spiritual successor to the Royal Mint’s ‘Queen’s Beasts’ series, returns with the Seymour Unicorn. This is the fifth of ten coins in this David Lawrence penned series, digging into the heraldic history of Henry VIII and the Tudor Dynasty. Each coin features a modern take on the early-16th century original.

The Seymour Unicorn continues the consistent style of the series to date, and we have to say, does a splendid job of it. Again, the animal exudes power and majesty, and the shield is replete with crisp detailing, on these proof versions at least. We’ve yet to see images of the bullion variants. All told, a very attractive, and very British coin, just as you would expect from this aged mint.

The same four gold (from 1/4 oz to 5 oz), and four silver (1 oz to 10 oz) coins return, with just some minor tweaks to mintages from last time, and some small changes to prices, upwards, unfortunately. Our favourite last time was the two-coin set, consisting of a 1 oz proof, and a 1 oz frosted finish silver coin, and that returns with a 750 mintage EDIT: (up from 500), and a £210.00 cost (up from £195.00). We weren’t provided with images this time, so we’ve left the previous image below, so you can see the effect. The base-metal version also returns, of course, and like the others, will be available to order later today.

PRESS RELEASE

Powerful and influential, the early Tudors faced many threats to their sovereignty, and Henry VIII often used heraldry to legitimise his lineage. He commissioned a procession of carefully carved Royal Beasts from myth and legend to stand at the entrance to Hampton Court Palace, a statement of royal power with every heraldic shield and symbol. These royal protectors are the inspiration behind The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection, a ten-coin collection that explores the rise of a royal dynasty.

The Seymour Unicorn follows the Bull of Clarence onto the latest coin in the collection. 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.

BASE METAL BU VERSION

TWO-COIN REVERSE FROSTED SET

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to reveal the fifth coin in the ten-coin Royal Tudor Beasts Collection, featuring the mighty Seymour Unicorn. This collection has been immensely popular not only in the United Kingdom, but across the world, particularly North America. Each coin in The Royal Mint’s Royal Tudor Beasts commemorative coin series and its accompanying packaging has been produced in partnership with experts at Historic Royal Palaces. Combining the latest minting technology with traditional British craftsmanship, The Royal Mint’s craftspeople have successfully depicted the Seymour Unicorn in all its glory and in fine detail as part of this beautifully-crafted design.”

Jenny Smyth, Licensing Manager at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “We are thrilled to launch the next commemorative coin within The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection. The Seymour Unicorn, an iconic mythical creature with an interesting provenance, has been brought to life by The Royal Mint – helping to share the stories of the palaces within our care with new audiences.”

WHERE TO BUY PAGE

PROOF SPECIFICATION

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER LEP MINTAGE (TOTAL)
 PRICE
£2 UKP 0.999 SILVER 31.21 g 38.61 mm 5,500 (6,260) £102.50
£5 UKP 0.999 SILVER 62.42 g 40.00 mm 1,250 (1,256) £192.50
£10 UKP 0.999 SILVER 156.30 g 65.00 mm 250 (256) £485.00
£10 UKP 0.999 SILVER 312.59 g 65.00 mm 100 (106) £950.00
£25 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 7.80 g 22.0 mm 650 (660) £750.00
£100 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 31.21 g 32.69 mm 250 (260) £2,770.00
£200 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 62.42 g 40.00 mm 50 (56) £5,305.00
£500 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 156.30 g 50.00 mm 20 (26) £12,725.00

BULLION SPECIFICATION

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER
£5 UKP 0.999 SILVER 62.42 g 38.61 mm
£10 UKP 0.999 SILVER 311.035 g 85.00 mm
£25 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 7.80 g 22.00 mm
£100 UKP 0.9999 GOLD 32.69 g 31.21 mm