10 Pounds - Elizabeth II Lion of England, Silver Proof

The Lion of England is the second release in the Royal Mint's "Queen's Beast" companion series — larger, heavier restrike versions intended to follow the original ten-coin Queen's Beast program that ran from 2016 to 2021. That original series drew directly from the ten heraldic beasts that flanked Elizabeth II's path at her 1953 coronation at Westminster Abbey, themselves reproductions of carved wooden figures designed by sculptor James Woodford. The companion coins were issued against the backdrop of the Queen's final years; she died in September 2022, making this among the last British bullion programs released under her reign.