Captured on the quarter-ounce gold coin

A new royal collection begins with the Lion of England

Royalty and heraldry go hand in hand, centuries of tradition that have been celebrated throughout the ages in art, sculpture and coin design. Today we’re surrounded by these symbolic emblems, each with fascinating stories to tell. The Queen’s Beasts are some of the most famous heraldic symbols in the world. They were inherited by Her Majesty The Queen when she became monarch and statues of the fierce protectors symbolically guarded the entrance to her coronation in 1953.

Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark has given The Queen’s Beasts Collection a fierce and proud start with the Lion of England, inspired by both heraldry and the true nature of the beast in the wild. Jody is best known for creating the current coinage portrait of Her Majesty that features on the obverse of this coin. Struck in one ounce of 999.9 fine gold, the coin is finished to Proof standard and is accompanied by a booklet produced in association with Clive Cheesman, Richmond Herald at the College of Arms.