25 Pounds - Elizabeth II Black Bull of Clarence, Gold Proof

The Black Bull of Clarence derives from the heraldic supporters of Edward IV, whose Yorkist claim to the throne made the bull a symbol of hard-won dynastic legitimacy after decades of civil conflict. The Queen's Beasts series, launched in 2016 to mark Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, drew directly from the ten sculpted figures that flanked the entrance at her 1953 coronation — themselves based on scholarly reconstruction work done for the College of Arms in the early 1950s.

The .9999 fineness places this issue in a purer gold category than the traditional British sovereign standard of .9167, a deliberate move to compete with bullion proof markets dominated by Canadian and Australian product.