1 oz Royal Tudor Beasts Queen's Lion Gold Coin | 2026

1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 — flagship format of the heraldic Tudor lion in the Royal Mint Royal Tudor Beasts cycle

The 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 gold coin is a Royal Mint bullion coin with a mass of 31.103 g (1 troy oz), a fineness of 999.9/1000, a 32.69 mm diameter and a 100 GBP face value as legal tender of the United Kingdom. Queens Lion is the fifth coin of the Royal Tudor Beasts cycle launched in 2022, inspired by ten heraldic beasts of King Henry VIII from Hampton Court Palace of the 1530s. The 1 oz format is the flagship vintage of the 2026 cycle — a full ounce of fine gold in the classic 32.69 mm dimension shared with Britannia and Queens Beasts. The reverse designer is David Lawrence, Royal Mint senior designer. The obverse features the Charles III portrait by Martin Jennings (2022). The coin is VAT-exempt in the EU, holds Royal Mint LBMA accreditation, CGT-free status for UK tax residents and the full Royal Mint 4-tier optical security system.

Technical specification

Why 1 oz Queens Lion 2026 earns a place in your stack

• Flagship format of the 2026 vintage in the Royal Tudor Beasts cycle: 1 oz is the main collector format of the cycle, in which most of the 10-year sets (2022-2032) are built. A full ounce of fine gold in the 32.69 mm dimension shared with Britannia and Queens Beasts gives the characteristic, recognisable Royal Mint coin size in the bullion stacking segment.
• Lowest premium in the Tudor Beasts segment (typically 5-8% spot): 1 oz Tudor Beasts holds the lowest premium per gram of gold among all cycle fractions — only 1-3 percentage points above the neutral 1 oz Britannia, which makes the Tudor Beasts ounce a cost-efficient option combining the bullion value with the collector premium of the series.
• Fineness 999.9 — pure gold in the classic bullion standard: Tudor Beasts is a modern Royal Mint series at 999.9/1000 fineness (vs 916.7 of historical Crown Gold Sovereigns) — the purer gold allows finer engraving of the Tudor lion's heraldic details and meets the EU VAT exemption with significant headroom above the 900/1000 minimum.
• Full Royal Mint 4-tier optical security system: 1 oz Queens Lion 2026 is protected by the latent image, tincture lines, surface animation and micro-text package introduced by the Royal Mint in 2021 — the full coin size (32.69 mm) facilitates visual verification of all four security features, which makes the Tudor Beasts ounce the safest format of the cycle from the authenticity perspective.
• CGT-free for UK tax residents: Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 is United Kingdom legal tender (face value 100 GBP) and qualifies for Capital Gains Tax exemption for UK tax residents — a status characteristic of all Royal Mint legal tender coins, regardless of format (1/4 oz, 1 oz) or series (Britannia, Sovereign, Tudor Beasts, Queens Beasts).

History of the Royal Tudor Beasts series — from Hampton Court Palace 1530s to Royal Mint 2022-2032

The Royal Tudor Beasts series was launched by the Royal Mint in 2022 as a 10-year bullion cycle in which each vintage features a different mythical heraldic beast of the Tudor dynasty. The series is inspired by the ten heraldic beast sculptures commissioned by King Henry VIII (1491-1547) for Hampton Court Palace in the 1530s — the stone beast figures adorned the palace as a manifestation of Tudor prestige and a testament to the complex heraldic genealogy of the English rulers of that era.

Order of Royal Tudor Beasts cycle issuance: Seymour Panther (2022), Yale of Beaufort (2023), Lion of England (2024), Bull of Clarence (2025), Queens Lion (2026), followed by the planned Tudor Dragon, Greyhound, Royal Dragon, Falcon and White Greyhound (the order of the final five may be subject to change in the Royal Mint plan). Each beast symbolises a specific heraldic branch or motif of the Tudor dynasty — Seymour Panther refers to Jane Seymour (Henry VIII's third wife), Yale of Beaufort to the Beaufort family, Lion of England to the classic symbol of the Kingdom of England.

The designer of the entire Royal Tudor Beasts series is David Lawrence — Royal Mint senior designer responsible for the modern interpretation of 16th-century heraldic sculpture in bullion coin form. Lawrence drew on the original Hampton Court Palace sculptures but adapted the composition to the round coin format, adding heraldic shields and Tudor-style ornaments. Each beast is shown in the rampant position (standing on its hind legs with raised forepaws) with a heraldic shield matching the family branch to which the beast belongs.

Royal Tudor Beasts is a continuation of the concept of the earlier Royal Mint Queens Beasts series (2016-2021) — a 10-coin cycle designed by Jody Clark, based on the ten Queen's Beasts from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. Tudor Beasts differs from Queens Beasts by deeper history (16th c. vs 1953), the more complex heraldic language of the Tudors and the newer, more detailed engraving style of David Lawrence using the 4-tier optical security features introduced in 2021.

The 1 oz Tudor Beasts format (32.69 mm diameter) matches the diameter of the 1 oz Britannia (since the 2013 reform) and 1 oz Queens Beasts (2016-2021), creating a consistent dimensional standard for Royal Mint stacking bullion in the ounce segment. The 32.69 mm diameter allows precise engraving of heraldic details while maintaining the standard coin size shared with other Royal Mint series — facilitating the organisation of bulk capsule cases for collectors holding ounces of various series.

Obverse — Charles III by Martin Jennings (2022)

The obverse of the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 features the King Charles III portrait designed by Martin Jennings in 2022. It is the official monarch portrait used by the Royal Mint on all bullion and commemorative coins since Charles III ascended the throne in September 2022. Charles III is shown in left profile (the opposite direction to the Elizabeth II portrait), uncrowned, with simple hair conveying the realism of the 73-year-old king's likeness.

Around the portrait runs the inscription CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · 100 POUNDS · 2026 — the Latin titles Dei Gratia (by the Grace of God) and Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) along with the 100 British pounds face value and strike year. The tradition of Latin monarch titles dates back to Victorian Sovereigns of 1838 and is still used by the Royal Mint today. The 1 oz format allows a larger inscription size than 1/4 oz, improving the legibility of the Latin letters to the naked eye.

Martin Jennings (b. 1957) — British sculptor known for public monuments to Sir John Betjeman (St Pancras Station in London) and George Orwell (BBC Broadcasting House) — was selected by the Royal Mint through a competition for the official Charles III coin portrait. The design was personally approved by the King and is the only official likeness on coins of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries that use the British monarch portrait on local coins.

Reverse — Queens Lion (heraldic Tudor lion) by David Lawrence

The reverse of the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 features the heraldic Tudor lion in rampant position — standing on its hind legs with raised forepaws and the head turned frontally toward the viewer. The lion holds a heraldic shield with the Tudor coat of arms (Tudor rose combining the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster after the Wars of the Roses 1455-1487). Around the lion figure are 16th-century-style ornaments and the inscription THE ROYAL TUDOR BEASTS · QUEENS LION on the coin's edge. The full size of 32.69 mm allows precise rendering of all heraldic details, including the lion's fur micro-texture and the shield engraving.

Queens Lion is a symbol of British monarchical power and at the same time of the heritage of Henry VIII and his monarch-children: Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The heraldic lion is one of the oldest symbols of English royalty — it appears on the coats of arms of English rulers since the Plantagenets (12th c.), and in the Tudor era was personalised by Henry VIII as a manifestation of dynastic continuity of royal power during the English Reformation and the founding of the Church of England in 1534.

David Lawrence — Royal Mint senior designer — drew on the original Queens Lion sculpture from Hampton Court Palace but adapted the composition to the round coin format by adding a heraldic shield and corner ornaments. Lawrence is the author of the entire Royal Tudor Beasts series (10 coins planned 2022-2032); his style is characterised by engraving detail, which the 999.9 fineness enables. The 1 oz format gives the sculptor the largest working surface in the Tudor Beasts cycle — all elements designed by Lawrence are fully showcased in the 32.69 mm dimension.

The 2026 vintage is protected by the Royal Mint 4-tier optical security system introduced in 2021. Latent image — a hidden image in the reverse field, variably visible from different rotation angles. Tincture lines — heraldic micro-lines allowing colour identification in traditional heraldry. Surface animation — surface animation reacting to changing light incidence angle. Micro-text — micro-text distributed on the edge, invisible to the naked eye, readable under 10x magnification. The full ounce size of 32.69 mm facilitates verification of all four security features — particularly latent image and surface animation, which require a large surface for the proper visual effect.

What to look out for when buying

Check the vintage of the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion coin — the 2026 issue is specifically Queens Lion (5th coin of the cycle); other Royal Tudor Beasts vintages feature different beasts: Seymour Panther (2022), Yale of Beaufort (2023), Lion of England (2024), Bull of Clarence (2025). The cycle is planned through 2032 (10 beasts in 10 vintages), and each beast is a separate collector position — completionist collectors acquire all cycle vintages in the same format (e.g. all 10 coins in 1 oz for the full flagship collection).

The market premium on 1 oz Tudor Beasts typically ranges 5-8% for the current vintage (2026), with a possible increase for earlier vintages as original mintages are absorbed. 1 oz of the Tudor Beasts cycle is more expensive per unit than 1/4 oz, but its premium per gram of gold is lower — for collectors planning long-term holding, the ounce is more cost-efficient than the quarter-ounce fraction.

CGT-free status applies to all Royal Mint legal tender coins — Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 is United Kingdom legal tender (face value 100 GBP) and qualifies for Capital Gains Tax exemption for UK tax residents, regardless of format and series. This status distinguishes Tudor Beasts from neutral bullion coins (Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Wiener Philharmoniker), which despite LBMA accreditation and high fineness are not CGT-free in the UK.

Check the 4-tier security features — the Royal Mint introduced the full package (latent image, tincture lines, surface animation, micro-text) on bullion in 2021, so the 2026 vintage is fully protected. The full 1 oz size (32.69 mm) facilitates visual verification of all elements: latent image is well visible when rotating the coin under light, the edge micro-text is more readable under magnification than in smaller fractions. When buying second-hand, it's worth checking all four security features.

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Comparison of 5 Royal Mint coins — Tudor Beasts, Britannia, Sovereign, Queens Beasts

See the entire gold bullion coins category available at GoldInvest24.

FAQ — common questions about the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026

What is the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026?

The 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 is a Royal Mint bullion coin with a mass of 31.103 g (1 troy oz), a fineness of 999.9, a 32.69 mm diameter and a 100 GBP face value. Queens Lion is the fifth coin of the Royal Tudor Beasts cycle (started in 2022 with Seymour Panther), inspired by ten heraldic beasts of Henry VIII from Hampton Court Palace of the 1530s. Reverse designer: David Lawrence (Royal Mint senior designer); obverse: Charles III by Martin Jennings (2022). The 1 oz format is the flagship vintage of the 2026 cycle.

What is the technical specification of the 1 oz Queens Lion 2026?

Mass 31.103 g (1 troy oz), fineness 999.9/1000 (fine gold), diameter 32.69 mm, thickness approx. 2.79 mm, face value 100 GBP (legal tender United Kingdom). Obverse: Charles III portrait by Martin Jennings (2022). Reverse: heraldic Tudor lion in rampant position with heraldic shield and Tudor rose by David Lawrence. The 2026 vintage is protected by the Royal Mint 4-tier optical security system (latent image, tincture lines, surface animation, micro-text).

Who designed the Royal Tudor Beasts series and what is its history?

The designer of the Royal Tudor Beasts series is David Lawrence — Royal Mint senior designer. The cycle was launched in 2022 as a 10-year bullion cycle inspired by ten heraldic beasts of Henry VIII from Hampton Court Palace (1530s). Order: Seymour Panther (2022), Yale of Beaufort (2023), Lion of England (2024), Bull of Clarence (2025), Queens Lion (2026), followed by Tudor Dragon, Greyhound, Royal Dragon, Falcon, White Greyhound through 2032. Tudor Beasts continues the concept of the earlier Queens Beasts series (2016-2021) by Jody Clark.

How does Tudor Beasts differ from Britannia, Sovereign and the earlier Queens Beasts series?

Tudor Beasts (since 2022) — 10-year bullion cycle inspired by Hampton Court Palace, fineness 999.9, designer David Lawrence. Britannia (since 1987) — Royal Mint flagship coin, fineness 999.9 since 2013. Sovereign (modern form since 1817) — historic Crown Gold 916.7. Queens Beasts (2016-2021) — earlier 10-coin Royal Mint series inspired by the Queen's Beasts of the Elizabeth II coronation 1953, designer Jody Clark. All are United Kingdom legal tender and CGT-free in the UK.

For whom is the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 a practical choice?

For collectors building a complete set of 10 cycle beasts of Royal Tudor Beasts in a uniform flagship 1 oz format, for those valuing the heraldic history of the Tudor dynasty, and for UK tax residents using CGT-free status to optimise capital-gains taxation. The 1 oz format offers the lowest cycle premium per gram of gold and the full 32.69 mm dimension for the best verification of the 4-tier optical security features.

What is the LBMA, VAT, CGT and IRA status of the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion?

LBMA Good Delivery — YES (Royal Mint holds the status since 1750, the oldest active). VAT in the EU — EXEMPT (legal-tender coin, fineness 999.9 well above 900, struck after 1800 — meets EU Directive 2006/112/EC Art. 344). CGT-free in the United Kingdom — YES (British legal tender Tudor Beasts, CGT exempt status for UK tax residents). IRA-eligible in the USA — NO (the IRS admits exclusively American coins to retirement accounts).

How do I buy the 1 oz Tudor Beasts Queens Lion 2026 at GoldInvest24?

Place an order in our shop with access to the gold bullion coins category, the full range of Royal Tudor Beasts, Queens Beasts and Britannia series and the offer of LBMA mints. Check the current gold quotes to compare the premium against the current spot price. Technical descriptions and specifications are available in PL / DE / EN language versions.