Royalty, heraldry and the nation’s coinage go hand in hand. The Royal Mint shares a special relationship with Her Majesty The Queen, now the world’s longest reigning living monarch. We created the first coins of her reign and have struck every official United Kingdom coin since. At The Queen’s coronation in 1953 ten sculptures lined her entrance to Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s Beasts represented centuries of royal heraldry and tradition inherited by the new queen. For 2017, these beasts have inspired a new collection and it is only fitting that we start with the ‘King of the Beasts’, the Lion of England.

This kilo coin is struck in 999 fine gold and finished to Proof standard; it is the largest and most exclusive coin in the range. The reverse features an original design by Jody Clark, who also created the current circulating coinage portrait of The Queen that appears on the obverse. The coin is presented with a booklet produced in association with Clive Cheesman, Richmond Herald at the College of Arms.