Gold Coin Bull of Clarence 1 Oz 2023 Proof

The Royal Tudor Beasts - The Bull of Clarence 2023 - 1 Oz

An exclusive gold coin, issued by the Royal British Mint for 2023 and minted in the finest 99.99% pure gold, weighing 1 Oz (31.21g) in Proof quality, this coin is part of The Royal Tudor Beasts series.
The series will present ten heraldic beasts from the genealogy of King Henry VIII. Tudor and his third wife Jane Seymour. The fourth royal Tudor beast is the black bull of the Dukes of Clarence.

The reverse of the coin depicts a powerful bull with a crest bearing the double rose of the Tudors, a heraldic emblem that arose from the union of the two rival royal dynasties of Lancaster and York. This was the wedding of Henry VIII's parents in 1486. The first Tudor king, Henry VII, was descended on his mother's side from the House of Lancaster and his wife Elizabeth from the House of York. The inscription "BULL OF CLARENCE" and the year of issue "2023" complete the rim of the design. The initials of the designer "DL" are included.
The Royal Tudor Beasts is a series of ten heraldic sculptures located on the bridge leading to the gateway of the Great Tower of Hampton Court Palace in London. The Royal Beasts were chosen by Henry VIII to symbolise the legitimacy of his family, their devotion to the throne, the strength of the Tudor dynasty and their association with the House of Seymour. His third marriage to Jane Seymour in 1536 represented a new hope for a dream male offspring and the preservation of the royal family line. The stylized form of the statues was elaborated for the coin series by David Lawrence.
The bull but also the buffalo, cow or calf, appear in heraldry in a variety of forms and colours. The bull of Clarence was depicted as a black animal with unusual features during the reign of Henry VIII. His eyes and pupils were black, while his horns, hooves and the tips of the hair on his breast and tail shone golden.
As one of the royal animals, the Black Bull of Clarence demonstrates Henry VIII's connection to the House of York. The mark of the black bull was used by the first Duke of Clarence, Lionel of Antwerp, son of the eminent King Edward III. However, the heraldic origin of the animal may go back even further in history to the House of Clar. Lionel of Antwerp married Elizabeth of Burgh, Countess of Ulster and granddaughter of Elizabeth of Clare. At the same time, Henry VIII was able to claim his Welsh heritage. Lionel and Elizabeth's grandson, Sir Edmund Mortimer, married Catrin Glyndŵr, daughter of the legendary Welsh rebel Owain Glyndŵr, who was the last native Welshman with the title Prince of Wales. The King's pride in his Welsh roots is also evident in his choice of the Welsh dragon as one of the shield bearers of his coat of arms.

The obverse bears the first coin portrait of Charles III designed by Martin Jennings with the initials of the artist. The description of the coin states 'CHARLES III - D - G - REX - F - D', the face value and the year of issue '2023'.

The coin comes in a luxury lacquered wooden box along with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of only 300 pieces for the whole world!

This product is part of the following product sets: