• The Royal Mint, in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, has revealed the fifth coin in the ten-coin Royal Tudor Beasts Collection, the Seymour Unicorn.
• Given as a gift to Jane Seymour by Henry VIII, the Seymour Unicorn is believed to be the strongest of all creatures and is seen as a symbol of purity and fertility.
• Collection artist David Lawrence was inspired by the Seymour Unicorn stone sculpture which stands guard on the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace.

25^th September 2023:

The Royal Mint has today announced the Seymour Unicorn as the latest beast to be commemorated in its Royal Tudor Beasts Collection.

The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection was unleashed by The Royal Mint in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces – the charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace -, exploring the powerful Tudor dynasty and the infamous union between Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour.

Each coin in the collection has been designed by artist David Lawrence, with each design combining a unique balance of naturalistic elements with stylised, heraldic depictions.

The fifth coin in the collection depicts the mystical Seymour Unicorn holding a shield bearing Queen Jane’s Arms. Wild and untamed, the unicorn is believed to be the strongest of all creatures, so to have one guarding the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace was a clear display of royal dominance from Henry VIII.    

In addition to a Brilliant Uncirculated edition, the coin is available struck to Proof standard in fine gold and fine silver. The 1oz silver Proof edition features the edge inscription, ‘HAMPTON COURT PALACE· ROYAL TUDOR BEASTS’.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “We are delighted to reveal the fifth coin in the ten-coin Royal Tudor Beasts Collection, featuring the mighty Seymour Unicorn. This collection has been immensely popular not only in the United Kingdom, but across the world, particularly North America.”

 Each coin in The Royal Mint’s Royal Tudor Beasts commemorative coin series and its accompanying packaging has been produced in partnership with experts at Historic Royal Palaces. Combining the latest minting technology with traditional British craftsmanship, The Royal Mint’s craftspeople have successfully depicted the Seymour Unicorn in all its glory and in fine detail as part of this beautifully-crafted design.”

 Jenny Smyth, Licensing Manager at Historic Royal Palaces said: “We are thrilled to launch the next commemorative coin within The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection. The Seymour Unicorn, an iconic mythical creature with an interesting provenance, has been brought to life by The Royal Mint - helping to share the stories of the palaces within our care with new audiences.”

 Visit The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection | The Royal Mint to view the full collection.

About The Royal Mint

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is Britain’s oldest companies and the original maker of UK coins.  Today The Royal Mint is a premium British maker, providing carefully crafted coins and precious metal products for the UK and overseas.  Based in Llantrisant, South Wales it has three main focuses as a business: Currency, Consumer (collectable and rare, historic coins) and precious metals investment.

Collecting with The Royal Mint

Every coin tells a story, from a rare gold Sovereign to a Peter Rabbit™ 50p coin. The Royal Mint aims to inspire collectors young and old and nurture a love of collecting through unique designs and popular themes. As the maker of UK coinage, we have unparalleled knowledge about coins, from the historic coins of our past, through to the collectable commemorative coins of today.  Sourcing and authenticating pre decimal coins is a natural fit for The Royal Mint as we struck each one.

Investing with The Royal Mint

As a world authority on precious metals, The Royal Mint has traded and made products in gold and silver for centuries. Since launching its designated precious metals investment arm six years ago, The Royal Mint has grown rapidly to become the home of gold in the UK – increasing its market share and becoming the largest producer of bullion coins in Britain. As well as offering physical precious metal investment options in the form of bars and coins, The Royal Mint also offers a range of digital investment options including DigiGold, Little Treasures, designed for children, and Gold for Pensions

Celebrating with The Royal Mint

For over a thousand years The Royal Mint has marked the moments that changed the world on coins - from coronations to conflict, from commemorations to celebrations. The designs are captured on commemorative coins, minted in a range of metals.  Commemorative coins do not always enter circulation but give collectors the chance to purchase coins to keep and cherish.  Recent themes have included David Bowie, Winnie the Pooh, Decimalisation and Team GB. Each commemorative coin is carefully struck up to three times in order to create a superbly detailed finish, and ensuring each one meets the standards The Royal Mint is famous for. 

The Royal Mint Experience

The Royal Mint opened its popular visitor centre, The Royal Mint Experience, at its home in Llantrisant, South Wales in 2016. Since opening the award-winning attraction has welcomed around 400,000 visitors through its doors and is the place to explore the 1,100-year history of coins.

Images

The Royal Mint retains copyright ownership © of all images. These may only be used for editorial purposes and cannot be sold or used for other marketing purposes without the permission of The Royal Mint.

Historic Royal Palaces is a team of people who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. We create space for spirits to stir and be stirred. We want everyone to feel welcome and accepted. We tell stories about the monarchs you know and the lives you don’t. We let people explore and we set minds racing. We are a charity and your support gives the palaces a future, for everyone.  Registered charity number 1068852. For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk

For press information about Historic Royal Palaces, please contact the Historic Royal Palaces Press Office via press@hrp.org.uk

 ENDS