Tudor Beasts: specifications, value and where to buy
Tudor Beasts are Royal Mint bullion coins showing the ten heraldic beasts at Hampton Court Palace. The 1oz coin is 999.9 fine gold, 32.69 mm wide and £100 legal tender; the 1/4oz is £25 and 22 mm. UK residents pay no CGT on them. The 2026 Seymour Panther is the tenth beast.
The Royal Tudor Beasts followed The Royal Mint's Queen's Beasts as its second heraldic bullion series. Ten stone beasts line the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace, put there for Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Each one now has its own coin, designed by sculptor and illustrator David Lawrence with Historic Royal Palaces.
What are the specifications of the Tudor Beasts gold coins?
| 1 oz | 1/4 oz | |
|---|---|---|
| Face value | £100 | £25 |
| Purity | 999.9 fine gold | 999.9 fine gold |
| Fine gold | 1 troy oz (31.10 g) | 0.25 troy oz (7.78 g) |
| Diameter | 32.69 mm | 22.00 mm |
| Reverse designer | David Lawrence | David Lawrence |
| Obverse | King Charles III by Martin Jennings (from the 2023 Bull of Clarence onwards) | |
| Security | Surface animation (chain mail texture) on the reverse background | |
| Packaging | Single coin capsule | |
Source: The Royal Mint product specifications for the 2026 Seymour Panther and 2023 Bull of Clarence bullion coins. Gram figures are our conversion (1 troy oz = 31.1035 g). The Royal Mint does not list a gross weight on these pages, so we do not quote one.
The Bull of Clarence (2023) was the first coin in the series to carry the King's portrait. Earlier coins carry Queen Elizabeth II. Silver (2oz and 10oz) and platinum (1oz) versions also exist, but this page covers gold.
What is a Tudor Beasts coin worth today?
| Coin | GBP | USD | CAD | AUD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1/4 oz | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Spot-based melt values, not dealer prices. Last updated: Loading. Our coin melt value calculator handles any quantity.
What does The Royal Mint charge for Tudor Beasts?
We captured single-coin prices on The Royal Mint's product pages with an automated check on 11 October 2026. Spot was £3,171.45 per ounce (gold-api.com) at both capture times. The premium is the price divided by the value of the gold, minus one.
| Coin | Captured (UTC) | Price (1 coin) | Price (100+) | Premium (1 coin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Queen's Lion 1oz | 11:04 | £3,404.16 | £3,371.08 | 7.34% |
| 2026 Royal Dragon 1oz | 11:04 | £3,451.23 | £3,405.11 | 8.82% |
| 2026 Seymour Panther 1oz | 11:10 | £3,451.23 | £3,405.11 | 8.82% |
| 2026 Seymour Panther 1/4oz | 11:10 | £933.59 | £909.73 | 17.75% |
Prices from The Royal Mint's own product pages, cheapest listed price per quantity tier. The Royal Mint showed the Queen's Lion as "Limited Stock". We did not check other dealers' Tudor Beasts prices for this page.
For context, the cheapest 1oz Britannia in our GoldVetted price check, 10 October 2026 was 2.8% above spot at Chards, and a 2027 Britannia bought from The Royal Mint was 7.1%. A Tudor Beast bought direct therefore costs roughly the same as a new-year Britannia from the same source, and noticeably more than a best value Britannia from a dealer. The 1/4oz costs far more per ounce than the 1oz, because the cost of striking and packing a coin does not shrink with its size.
How are Tudor Beasts taxed?
| Country | When you buy | When you sell at a gain |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | No VAT Investment gold coin (Notice 701/21A) | No CGT UK legal tender is currency (CG78305) |
| United States | State sales tax varies | Collectible rate, up to 28% federally, if held over a year (IRS Topic 409) |
| Canada | 99.99% gold: no GST/HST (CRA 17.1) | Gains generally taxable |
| Australia | 99.99% investment gold: no GST (GSTR 2003/10) | Generally subject to CGT |
The UK CGT exemption only helps UK residents; elsewhere the coin is taxed like any foreign gold coin. In the US, 99.99% purity clears the 99.5% fineness bar for IRA bullion under section 408(m), but custodian approval is still needed.
Which beasts and years have been issued?
The Royal Mint said at launch that the collection would be released over five years, starting with the Seymour Panther on collector proofs in 2022. The bullion releases we could confirm on The Royal Mint's own pages are:
| Year | Beast | Release number |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Lion of England | Not stated on the page we saw |
| 2023 | Bull of Clarence | Third; first with King Charles III |
| 2026 | Queen's Lion | Eighth |
| 2026 | Royal Dragon | Ninth |
| 2026 | Seymour Panther | Tenth, the last beast to appear individually |
We have left out the fourth to seventh releases because we could not confirm them on an official page during this update. Compare the earlier series in our Queen's Beasts guide.
How do you spot a fake Tudor Beasts coin?
- Measure it. 32.69 mm for the 1oz, 22.00 mm for the 1/4oz. A fake with the right weight in a denser or lighter metal will be the wrong size.
- Tilt it under a light. The background surface animation shifts as you move the coin; flat, lifeless backgrounds are a warning sign.
- Check the portrait and year match. A 2023 or later coin should carry King Charles III, not Queen Elizabeth II.
- Use a known seller and treat prices near or below melt value as suspicious.
See how to tell if gold is real for home tests.
Where can you buy Tudor Beasts gold coins?
In the UK, The Royal Mint sells current Tudor Beasts direct, with prices falling on larger quantities, and offers vault storage. UK dealers including BullionByPost list the series too. Because these are CGT-free UK coins, UK buyers get most of the benefit; outside the UK, a local 99.99% coin is often simpler. Read gold coins vs gold bars if you are unsure about coins at all, and browse all gold coin guides for alternatives.
See Tudor Beasts at The Royal Mint
Pros and cons
Pros
- CGT and VAT free for UK residents
- 999.9 gold with a surface animation security feature
- A one-off design for each beast
Cons
- 7.3% to 8.8% over spot direct from The Royal Mint on 11 October 2026 (1oz)
- 1/4oz premium was 17.8%
- Less widely stocked outside the UK
Frequently asked questions
How many coins are in the Tudor Beasts series?
The collection celebrates the ten heraldic beasts on the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace. The Royal Mint describes the 2026 Seymour Panther as the tenth release and the last beast to appear individually on a bullion coin. The Queen's Beasts series ended with a completer coin showing all ten beasts, so collectors are watching for something similar.
Are Tudor Beasts gold coins free of Capital Gains Tax?
Yes, for UK residents. They are UK legal tender (£100 for the 1oz and £25 for the 1/4oz), and The Royal Mint and HMRC treat its legal tender bullion coins as currency, which is exempt from CGT. They are also VAT free as investment gold.
How much does a Tudor Beasts 1oz gold coin cost?
On 11 October 2026 The Royal Mint charged £3,404.16 for one 2026 Queen's Lion 1oz coin and £3,451.23 for the Royal Dragon and Seymour Panther, when spot was £3,171.45. That is 7.3% to 8.8% above the value of the gold.
Is a Tudor Beasts coin better than a Britannia?
Both are 1oz of 999.9 gold, £100 face value and CGT free in the UK. The difference is price and design: Tudor Beasts have a one-year design per beast, which collectors like, while best value Britannias usually cost less above spot. See our best gold coins for beginners.
Can I put Tudor Beasts coins in a US gold IRA?
They are 99.99% pure, which meets the 99.5% fineness test for bullion in section 408(m) of the US tax code. Whether a custodian accepts them is up to the custodian, so check its approved list first. Few US dealers stock them compared with American Eagles.
Sources
We checked these primary and official sources when writing and fact-checking this page.
- The Royal Mint: Royal Tudor Beasts 2026 Seymour Panther 1oz gold bullion coin (specification, tenth release)
- The Royal Mint: Royal Tudor Beasts 2026 Seymour Panther 1/4oz gold bullion coin
- The Royal Mint: Royal Tudor Beasts 2026 Queen's Lion 1oz gold bullion coin (eighth release)
- The Royal Mint: Royal Tudor Beasts 2023 Bull of Clarence 1/4oz gold bullion coin (third coin)
- The Royal Mint press centre: The Royal Tudor Beasts launch with Historic Royal Palaces
- HMRC Capital Gains Manual CG78305: sterling coins as currency
- HMRC VAT Notice 701/21A: Investment gold coins
- IRS Topic 409: Capital gains and losses
- Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST Memorandum 17-1
- Australian Taxation Office: GSTR 2003/10
Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.