The White Lion of Mortimer is one of the ten heraldic beasts Henry VIII assembled for the 1536 celebrations at Hampton Court, derived from the Mortimer family line through which the House of York traced its claim to the English throne. Tuvalu's use of these symbols operates under the Australian Perth Mint's licensing arrangements, which have produced dozens of themed collector series under Tuvaluan authority since the 2000s — a small island nation with no meaningful domestic coin circulation, effectively lending its issuing rights to bullion and numismatic programs.
At exactly a troy half-ounce, this piece belongs to a multi-coin series. The "cubs" variant is the smaller-denomination companion to the one-ounce dollar issue released the same year.
The White Lion of Mortimer is one of the ten heraldic beasts Henry VIII assembled for the 1536 celebrations at Hampton Court, derived from the Mortimer family line through which the House of York traced its claim to the English throne. Tuvalu's use of these symbols operates under the Australian Perth Mint's licensing arrangements, which have produced dozens of themed collector series under Tuvaluan authority since the 2000s — a small island nation with no meaningful domestic coin circulation, effectively lending its issuing rights to bullion and numismatic programs.
At exactly a troy half-ounce, this piece belongs to a multi-coin series. The "cubs" variant is the smaller-denomination companion to the one-ounce dollar issue released the same year.