Gold Ounce 2023 Una and the Lion, Coin from Saint Helena - detailed information

Saint Helena is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean which is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The currency of the island is the Saint Helena pound, fixed at parity with the pound sterling. The island has authorised some private mints to issue coins under its jurisdiction, which come in a variety of sizes - including in the popular gold ounce (1 oz gold) format, denominated as £5.

This coin is part of the Una and the Lion range by The East India Company.

The legend of Una and the Lion dates back to the 16th Century and Edmund Spencer’s epic medieval poem, The Faerie Queene. Una is a beautiful princess on a quest to rescue her parents from a dragon who has imprisoned them in a tower. She encounters a fierce lion whose rage is subdued as he is captivated by Una’s beauty and innocence. He becomes her faithful companion, forever by her side, protecting her from harm. The relationship between Una and the Lion and the great coin designers began with the 1839 five-pound piece, produced to mark the first anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria. It featured a bold neoclassical design by William Wyon, whose Una and the Lion symbolised the young Queen Victoria harnessing the power of the mighty British nation, represented by the Lion. It is now recognised as one of history’s most beautiful coin designs, a legacy which continues with the East India Company’s annual Una and the Lion Collection.

The mint says about the 2023 edition:
"This powerfully elegant 2023 design by Glyn Davies captures the inseparable bond and unwavering courage of Una and the Lion, giving equal prominence to these two legendary characters. The design’s Art Nouveau influences beautifully emphasise the fantastical nature of Spenser’s epic poem and the steely determination of the brave princess and mighty beast at her side."

The 2023 edition is the first in the Una and Lion coin collection to feature the portrait of King Charles III by Glyn Davies, who is thus in the relatively rare position of having designed both sides of the coin.