Silver Coin 5 Oz Lion of England 2022 Proof

The Royal Tudor Beasts - The Lion of England 2022 - 5 Oz

An exclusive silver coin, minted by the Royal British Mint for 2022 in the purest 99.9% silver, weighing 5 Oz (156.3g) in Proof quality, is released as part of the new The Royal Tudor Beasts series.
The series will introduce ten heraldic animals from the genealogy of King Henry VIII in turn. Tudor and his third wife Jane Seymour. The second royal Tudor beast is the lion of England.

The coin depicts the crowned lion of England on its reverse with an armorial shield. Divided into tenths, the shield combines heraldic features from the arms of Henry VIII and the arms of Jane Seymour. The inscription "LION OF ENGLAND" and the year of issue "2022" complete the rim of the motif. 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 royal union of Henry and Jane is evidenced by the Seymour panther, the lion of England, the greyhound of Richmond, the yale of Beaufort, the Tudor dragon, the Seymour unicorn, the royal dragon, the Queen's lion, the bull of Clarence and the Queen's panther.
The brave and fierce lion has figured in the arms of England since its inception. The lion represents English courage, strength, dignity and pride - qualities that no other breeding animal could boast in its day. The English lion acquired the status of a royal animal in the early twelfth century during the reign of Richard I (1189 - 1199), when heraldry was formally established. Henry VIII was a great supporter of the lion of England and therefore also made it a shield-bearer in the royal arms. This made it an iconic heraldic symbol and today it represents Britain rather than England. The Lion of England, with its shield referring to the ancestors of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, is one of the first statues lining the railings of the moat bridge of Hampton Court Palace.

The obverse bears Jody Clark's fifth and definitive coin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Incorporated are the artist's initials "J.C.", the inscription "ELIZABETH II. D.G. REG.F.D." and the face value.

The coin comes in a deluxe gift box along with a numbered certificate of authenticity, limited to only 300 pieces for the entire world!

This product is part of the following product sets: