Posts Tagged ‘Queen's Beasts Coins’
What are the ‘Royal Tudor Beasts’ and why do they feature on UK £5 coins?
In 2017, The Royal Mint revealed a series of base metal UK £5 coins featuring an intriguing range of heraldic creatures called the ‘Queen’s Beasts’.
Following on from the huge popularity of those coins, a new series of £5 coins has been revealed, that will take you back to the time of King Henry VIII and the mighty Tudor dynasty!
Ten heraldic beasts have stood guard, still, and silent on the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace for hundreds of years, representing the royal lineage of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.
2024 UK Tudor Dragon £5
The Royal Tudor Beasts series continues with the 2024 UK Tudor Dragon £5. The Tudor Dragon is the last of the 10 King’s Beasts you’ll pass on the moat bridge before entering Hampton Court Palace.
The dragon represents the Welsh lineage of the Tudor dynasty, and has been associated with Wales for centuries since it was adopted by Henry VIII. The red dragon even features on the Welsh flag to this day.
Sculptor David Lawrence aimed to portray all of the heraldic beasts in the Tudor Beasts series in a natural and realistic way. He worked in collaboration with the experts at Historic Royal Palaces on his design, which shows the Tudor Dragon in all its majestic glory, holding a shield emblazoned with the Beaufort Portcullis badge.
Secure your 2024 UK Tudor Dragon £5 in CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £13.99 >>
2024 UK Seymour Unicorn £5
The Seymour Unicorn, believed to be the strongest of all creatures, is one of ten magnificent King’s Beasts sculptures you’ll find if you visit Hampton Court Palace.
The reverse design features an exquisite engraving of the Seymour Unicorn in all its majestic glory by sculptor, David Lawrence. It was also only the second coin in the Tudor Beasts series to feature King Charles III on the obverse.
Before it was chosen by Henry VIII to flank the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace, the unicorn was rarely used as a royal heraldic beast. The monarch’s decision to choose the unicorn may have been motivated by his desperation to have a son with his third wife, Jane Seymour, as the unicorn is thought to represent purity and fertility.
Secure your 2024 UK Seymour Unicorn £5 in CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £13.99(+p&p) >>
2023 UK Bull of Clarence £5
The Bull of Clarence joined The Royal Mint’s Tudor Beasts Collection, representing bravery and wealth!
Excitingly, this was the FIRST coin in the series to feature King Charles III’s effigy! The first three coins in the series have featured Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait, making it one of just a few duel-portrait series!
Looking back at British history, the Bull of Clarence was particularly popular with royals. It was once used by the first Duke of Clarence as a Yorkist badge, and then later by Henry VIII!
Like the other seven beasts, a statue of the Royal Bull resides outside Hampton Court Palace. But, the Tudor beasts once found home in Henry VIII’s Privy Garden at the palace, used to emphasise his legitimacy as a king!
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2023 UK Yale of Beaufort £5
**No longer available at The Mint**
Issued as one of only two UK £5 coins dated 2023 to feature the Queen’s portrait, this coin is now off sale at the mint and set to become increasingly sought-after…
As you cross the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace, you’ll see the peculiar statue of the Yale of Beaufort, Arms of Jane Seymour in its possession. It’s said that Henry VIII gave this beast to his new wife – and what a gift it was!
With a mixture of antelope, lion and boar-like features, it is certainly a sight to behold, but especially so on the UK £5 coin designed by David Lawrence. The design surely captures the power associated with the Beaufort family, who Seymour had familial ties with through her brother, Edward.
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2022 UK Lion of England £5
**No longer available at The Mint**
One of the first beasts to greet you on the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace, the crowned Lion of England supports a shield bearing the combination of two coats of arms – of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.
A brave and ferocious lion has featured on the shield of England for as long as it has existed. Representing English courage, strength, dignity, and pride, this beast remains an iconic heraldic symbol to this very day.
Designed by David Lawrence, this £5 coin shows the crowned Lion in a powerful stance. Its lips are curled, exposing the ferocious grimace of teeth, and its claws clasp tightly around the shield of arms it stands to protect.
This coin is no longer available at The Royal Mint, but you can order your 2022 UK Lion of England £5 coin for JUST £24.99 (+p&p) today by clicking here >>
2022 UK Seymour Panther £5
**No longer available at The Mint**
The Seymour Panther was gifted to Jane Seymour by King Henry VIII from the royal treasury of beasts. It is one of the ten magnificent King’s Beasts sculptures you’ll find if you visit Hampton Court Palace.
The exquisite reverse design of this £5 coin, by David Lawrence, depicts the panther in all its glory, with flames coming out of its mouth and ears. Known for its intoxicating breath, the Seymour Panther represents the union between the mighty King Henry VIII and his wife, Jane Seymour.
This coin was the very first issue in The Royal Mint’s Tudor Beasts Collection, and it is no longer available from The Royal Mint. You can order your 2022 UK Seymour Panther £5 coin for £24.99 (+p&p) today by clicking here >>
The heraldic beasts of the Tudor dynasty
Over 400 years ago Henry VIII commissioned the sculpting of 10 heraldic animal statues. They were produced to represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour.
These became known as “The King’s Beasts” and can still be seen to this day, guarding the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace. One of the responsibilities of the beasts is to support various shields which themselves have symbols known as badges.
King Henry VIII had numerous beasts decorating Hampton Court where the Queen’s own beasts now reside. The Tudor Beasts are: the Lion of England, the Royal Dragon, the Tudor Dragon, the Black Bull of Clarence, the Yale of Beaufort, the White Lion of Mortimer, the White Greyhound of Richmond, the Seymour Lion, the Seymour Panther and the Seymour Unicorn.
The Queen’s ten beasts were modeled after these creatures and guarded her coronation in 1952. Woodford, the sculptor instructed to produce these ten new statues, did not produce exact replicas to those of Henry VIII’s beasts, as these would have had little connection with Her Majesty’s own family or ancestry.
Now that you know about the history of the Tudor creatures, which beast are you excited to see featured on our £5 coin? Let us know in the comments below!
Continue your Tudor Beasts £5 Collection
Secure the 2024 UK Tudor Dragon £5 for your collection today >>
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Royal Tudor Beasts Celebrated on UK Coins… What we know so far
Listen up Change Checkers!
The latest Royal Proclamation has just revealed some fantastic news for £5 coin collectors, as a brand new series of coins is set to be released celebrating the Royal Tudor Beasts and the mighty dynasty of King Henry VIII!
Just like the Queen’s Beasts series issued from 2017 to 2021, there will be 10 coins in total, each representing a different beast.
If the popularity of the Queen’s Beasts series is anything to go by, this new series is set to be in very high demand amongst collectors and royalty fans alike.
We can’t wait to see these new £5 coins when they’re released, but for now the designs remain top secret!
If you want to get ahead of the crowd, and be one of the first to receive these coins when they’re individually released, you can do so by signing up to the Change Checker New Issue £5 Subscription Service >>
Be one of the first to receive the brand new £5 coins!
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Queen’s Beasts Series Commemorated with FINAL Celebratory £5!
In 2017, The Royal Mint revealed a series of brand new base metal UK £5 coins featuring an intriguing range of creatures called the ‘Queen’s Beasts’.
The series has been inspired by the ten ancestral and heraldic beasts that have watched over Her Majesty The Queen throughout her unprecedented reign – from her coronation to her Sapphire Jubilee and beyond.
Today, the series as a whole has been commemorated with a BRAND NEW celebratory coin as a fitting finale.
Designed by acclaimed Royal Mint engraver, Jody Clark, the reverse of this coin features not just one, but ALL TEN beasts together on a single coin to celebrate the series as a whole.
The design features each heraldic creature from the series in a striking illustration of Her Majesty’s royal line of descent.
Recognisable as national symbols and representations of the great houses that vied for the throne, the beasts include lions, a bull, a falcon, a horse and a greyhound, as well as creatures of myth and legend.
The Queen’s Beast coins have been some of the most popular releases of recent years and this FINAL celebratory coin is the perfect way to complete the series.
To secure yours in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and in Official Change Checker packaging for JUST £10.99 (+p&p), simply click here >>
The History of the Queen’s Beasts
Over 400 years ago Henry VIII commissioned the sculpting of 10 heraldic animal statues. They were produced to represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. These became known as “The King’s Beasts” and can still be seen to this day, guarding the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace.
In 1952, in preparation for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, sculptor Sir James Woodford was tasked to create ten new statues, similar to “The King’s Beasts” but more suited to the Queen.
He created 10 six-foot tall beasts each representing a different part of her genealogy and thus “The Queen’s Beasts” were born.
The 10 beasts were made up of ‘The Lion of England’, ‘The White Greyhound of Richmond’, ‘The Yale of Beaufort’, ‘The Red Dragon of Wales’, ‘The White Horse of Hanover’, ‘The White Lion of Mortimer’, ‘The Unicorn of Scotland’, ‘The Griffin of Edward III’, ‘The Black Bull of Clarence’ and ‘The Falcon of the Plantagenets’.
The Royal Mint Celebrate the Queen’s Beasts with Their Biggest Coin Ever Made
To mark the conclusion of the Queen’s Beasts commemorative coin collection, The Royal Mint issued a 10kg, 20cm wide coin with the denomination of £10,000.
Taking over 400 hours to produce (including four days of polishing!) this one of a kind original is the latest issue in The Royal Mint’s MasterWorks series.
The production of this coin combined traditional engraving machines to cut the intricate design, followed by a master toolmaker hand-working the coin to remove any marks from the cutting.
One lucky collector is already claimed to be the owner of this masterpiece, having allegedly paying a six-figure amount!
We certainly think it’s an impressive addition to any collection and it’s issue acts as a testament to the popularity and mastery of the Queen’s Beast coins.
Change Checkers have voted for their favourite Queen’s Beasts £5 Coin!
These impressive creatures have each been commemorated on highly sought-after UK £5 coins as a striking illustration of the royal line of descent.
We asked you to vote for your favourite Queen’s Beasts coin and the results are in…
It seems this brand new 2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5 coin is the favourite amongst Change Checkers, as it takes an impressive 55% of the votes! The 2017 Unicorn of Scotland comes in second, closely followed by the recent 2021 Griffin of Edward III £5.
Will you be securing the brand new 2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5 for your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5 in Brilliant Uncirculated Quality!
Own the brand new 2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5 in CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p).
Your superior collector quality coin has been protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging to preserve for generations to come.
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