1/4oz The Royal Tudor Beasts: Yale of Beaufort 2023 Gold Coin

Introduction

Tavex is pleased to present the second edition of the Royal Tudor Beasts collection, The Yale of Beaufort 2023. The Royal Tudor Beasts collection is inspired by the ten stone beasts that line the Moat Bridge at Hampton Court Palace, a symbol of Henry VIII's union with his third wife, Jane Seymour. The second of these majestic guardians featured in the bullion series is the awe-inspiring Yale of Beaufort.

What is the Yale of Beaufort?
The ‘Yale’ symbolises grace and elegance, or defence and determination. The mythical beast was originally found in European mythology before passing into medieval bestiaries and heraldry legends. Most descriptions make it an antelope (or goat-like) four-legged creature with the tusks of a boar and large horns that can swivel in any direction.

The Yale of Beaufort is described as: “The size of a hippopotamus, with an elephant’s tail, of a black or tawny colour, with the jaws of a boar and movable horns more than a cubit in length” – Pliny the Elder from Natural History.

The Yale’s connection to the British monarchy apparently began with Henry VII in 1485. He came from the House of Beaufort, an old noble English family. Henry’s mother, Lady Margaret, began the Beaufort heraldic symbol legacy. The Yale of Beaufort was one of the Queen’s official ten heraldic beasts commissioned for her coronation in 1953. As Queen Jane had no direct link to Beaufort heraldry, Henry VIII likely transferred the Yale of Beaufort to his new wife. It is presented on the moat Bridge in Hampton Court, holding the Arms of Jane Seymour to reinforce her authority and influence as the king’s new wife.