Silver Ounce 2025 Royal Tudor Beasts - The Queen’s Panther, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The one ounce (1 oz) silver coins are denominated as either two pounds (£2) or five pounds (£5), depending on the occasion.

Initially, these were only of the Britannia type, but in 2015 the Royal Mint started to use the format for coins with other types of reverse designs, celebrating various aspects of British heritage.

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art.

This coin type is the seventh out of ten designs from the Royal Tudor Beasts Collection - coins depicting heraldic animals representing the Medieval Tudor dynasty which ruled England between 1485 and 1603, and features The Queen’s Panther.

The Moat Bridge, the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace built by King Henry VIII, is adorned by ten stone guardians known as the King's Beasts. Each fearsome Royal Beast holds historic meaning and the ten figures evenly represent Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. These regal protectors provided the inspiration for The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection from The Royal Mint.

In their astute employment of beasts, the Tudor dynasty aimed to convey symbolic representations of their virtues and strengths by invoking animals previously associated with earlier royal lineages. The Queen’s Panther (also called The Mortimer Panther) on the Moat Bridge stands across from the Tudor Dragon and is the final Queen’s Beast visitors meet before entering the palace. In heraldry, panthers are often depicted as "incensed", which means flames emanate from their mouth and their ears symbolise their fragrant breath. According to legend, the panther’s breath attracted all animals except the resistant dragon, making this an apt pairing.

Bestowed upon Jane Seymour by Henry VIII, the panther was seen as a representation of the House of Tudor’s recent lineage, owing to its association with King Henry VII. Following in his father’s footsteps, Henry VIII utilised the Queen’s Panther to affirm his wife’s legitimacy and the legitimacy of any progeny from their union. Emphasising this, and differentiating it from the Seymour Panther, the Queen’s Panther holds a shield bearing the combined Coats of Arms - also known as impaled Arms - of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour - mirroring the shield held by the King's Lion (The Lion of England).