When the statue of the White Lion of Mortimer was unveiled at the coronation of Her Late Majesty The Queen, it was generally only distinct from the Lion of England in the fact it was not wearing a crown. Throughout history, however, the lion has often been portrayed as quite submissive, sitting on its tail and raising its paws almost as if it were a begging dog.

For his take on the ancestral beast Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark has followed the more modern interpretation. The White Lion, standing beside a shield bearing the distinctive white rose of the House of York, is still without a crown and its claws are front claws retracted but it maintains a sense of power and dignity.