The Lion of England, UK, 2017, 10oz, .999

Description

A United Kingdom first in fine silver

Celebrating the Lion of England – ‘King of the Beasts’

Heraldic beasts are ancient symbols of power and lineage, passed down through the centuries from generation to generation. Some of the most famous of these emblems can be found in The Queen’s Beasts, inherited by Her Majesty The Queen and displayed at her coronation in 1953. These proud protectors of the monarch can be spotted in some surprisingly everyday places, like British passports, and regularly appear in British art and sculpture.

Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark has taken inspiration from these fascinating beasts to create a series of ten dynamic reverse designs for this new collection. His fierce interpretation of the Lion of England is paired with the current circulating coinage portrait of The Queen, also created by Jody, on the obverse of the coin. This is the first official ten-ounce coin to be released in the UK. Struck in ten ounces of 999 fine silver, the coin has a diameter of 65mm and is double the thickness of the five-ounce coin.