2023 St Helena Una and the Lion 1oz Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases
£5,995.00
The 2023 St Helena Una and the Lion 1oz Gold Proof is an exceptionally limited modern interpretation of one of the most celebrated subjects in British numismatic history.
Struck in 1 troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, the coin features Glyn Davies’ interpretation of Una and the Lion and was issued with a worldwide mintage of just 200 coins.
This particular example is independently certified NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases – the highest numerical Proof grade – with an NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of just 5 and none graded higher at the time of checking, placing it at Top Pop.
1 in stock
Description
2023 St Helena Una and the Lion 1oz Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases
The 2023 St Helena Una and the Lion 1oz Gold Proof combines a celebrated numismatic subject, an extremely limited worldwide issue and top-grade third-party certification.
Issued for St Helena, the coin contains one full troy ounce of .9999 fine gold and carries a face value of £5.
Its reverse features Una and the Lion, reinterpreted by British coin designer Glyn Davies. The design draws inspiration from the famous allegorical characters in Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene and the numismatic legacy established by William Wyon’s celebrated nineteenth-century Una and the Lion design.
The 2023 issue was limited to just:
200 coins worldwide.
This particular example has been independently authenticated, encapsulated and certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as:
PF70 ULTRA CAMEO
with the additional:
FIRST RELEASES
designation.
At the time of checking on 30 August 2026, the NGC certification evidence supplied for this issue records:
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
Higher Grades: 0
NGC Top Pop
⸻
Why This Coin Stands Out
- Worldwide mintage of just 200 coins
- 1 troy ounce of .9999 fine gold
- Struck to Proof quality
- Certified NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
- Highest numerical Proof grade
- First Releases designation
- NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of just 5
- 0 graded higher
- NGC Top Pop
- Una and the Lion reverse
- Reverse designed by Glyn Davies
- King Charles III obverse
- £5 St Helena denomination
- Part of the modern Una and the Lion series
- Independently authenticated and encapsulated by NGC
The combination of a 200-coin worldwide mintage and an NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of only 5 gives this particular certified example two separate and significant measures of scarcity.
⸻
Specifications
Year: 2023
Issuing Authority: St Helena
Denomination: £5
Metal: Gold
Fineness: .9999 Fine Gold
Pure Gold Content: 1 Troy Ounce
Quality: Proof
Worldwide Mintage: 200
Reverse: Una and the Lion
Reverse Designer: Glyn Davies
Obverse: King Charles III
Grading Company: NGC
Grade: PF70 Ultra Cameo
Designation: First Releases
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
Higher Grades: 0
NGC Status: Top Pop
Population Checked: 30 August 2026
The exact 2023 1oz Gold Proof issue is independently documented as containing 1 troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, carrying a £5 St Helena denomination and having a worldwide mintage of 200 coins.
⸻
Worldwide Mintage of Just 200 Coins
One of the principal characteristics of the 2023 St Helena Una and the Lion 1oz Gold Proof is its extremely limited original issue.
Only:
200 coins worldwide
were produced in this 1oz Gold Proof format.
That figure should be distinguished from the NGC certified population.
For this issue:
Worldwide Mintage: 200
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
The first records the original worldwide issue.
The second records the number displayed by NGC at the PF70 Ultra Cameo grade at the time the population was checked.
These are two entirely different measures.
The combination of an original issue of only 200 coins and a current PF70 Ultra Cameo population of only 5 is one of the strongest characteristics of this particular certified example.
⸻
Una and the Lion
Una and the Lion has become one of the most recognisable subjects in British and Commonwealth-inspired modern numismatics.
The characters originate in Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, first published in 1590.
In Spenser’s allegorical poem, Una represents truth and purity. During her journey she encounters a lion, which is initially threatening but becomes her protector after recognising her virtue.
The imagery became immortalised in British numismatics through William Wyon’s celebrated Una and the Lion design, created for the early coinage of Queen Victoria.
That nineteenth-century design has subsequently become one of the most admired and widely referenced compositions in British numismatic history.
The 2023 St Helena issue does not simply reproduce Wyon’s original artwork. Instead, it presents a modern interpretation of the enduring Una and the Lion theme.
⸻
Glyn Davies’ 2023 Design
The reverse of the 2023 coin was designed by Glyn Davies.
Davies presents Una alongside the powerful figure of the lion, surrounded by intricate decorative detail.
The composition draws on the symbolism of the original story while giving the characters a distinctly contemporary treatment.
The coin forms the fourth design in the modern Una and the Lion series.
This allows the issue to retain a clear connection with the historic Una and the Lion tradition without being a direct reproduction of William Wyon’s nineteenth-century design.
⸻
King Charles III Obverse
The obverse features a portrait of His Majesty King Charles III.
This places the 2023 issue firmly within the new Charles III era of modern coinage while its reverse draws inspiration from a subject closely associated with the earliest years of Queen Victoria’s reign.
The obverse also carries the coin’s:
£5
St Helena denomination.
The combination creates an interesting contrast between a contemporary Charles III issue and a reverse theme whose numismatic heritage stretches back to the nineteenth century.
⸻
One Troy Ounce of .9999 Fine Gold
Each 2023 Una and the Lion Gold Proof contains:
1 Troy Ounce of Pure Gold
and is struck in:
.9999 Fine Gold / 24 Carat.
This means the coin combines a precisely defined quantity of high-purity physical gold with a limited Proof issue and a historically significant numismatic subject.
Unlike a conventional bullion coin produced principally for precious-metal ownership, this issue was produced to Proof quality for the collector market and limited to only 200 examples worldwide.
⸻
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
This particular example has been independently authenticated, encapsulated and graded by NGC as:
PF70 ULTRA CAMEO
NGC uses the internationally recognised numerical grading scale extending from 1 to 70.
A grade of 70 represents the highest numerical grade on the scale.
NGC defines a PF70 coin as having no post-production imperfections visible at 5× magnification.
The Ultra Cameo designation relates specifically to the contrast of a Proof coin.
NGC defines Ultra Cameo as applying to Proof coins with deeply mirrored fields and heavily frosted devices, creating bold contrast on both sides.
This example therefore combines:
NGC’s highest numerical Proof grade
with:
NGC’s Ultra Cameo designation
⸻
NGC First Releases
This particular coin also carries NGC’s:
FIRST RELEASES
designation.
NGC awards First Releases to eligible coins received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository within the first 30 days of release.
The designation appears as part of the coin’s description on its NGC First Releases Blue label.
Importantly, First Releases does not mean this was necessarily one of the first coins physically struck.
It relates to when the eligible coin was received by NGC or an approved depository for certification.
The First Releases designation is also separate from the coin’s:
PF70 numerical grade
and
Ultra Cameo designation.
⸻
NGC Population – Just 5 in PF70 Ultra Cameo
This is one of the strongest characteristics of the certified example offered here.
Your NGC certification evidence, checked on 30 August 2026, records:
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
Higher Grades: 0
NGC Top Pop
That means this example sits at the highest numerical grade represented by NGC for the certification category shown at the time of checking.
For clarity:
Worldwide Mintage: 200
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
Higher Grades: 0
Status: Top Pop
The original mintage and NGC population measure different things.
The 200 figure relates to the worldwide original issue.
The 5 records the population displayed by NGC at PF70 Ultra Cameo at the time of checking.
NGC population figures can change as additional coins are submitted and certified, which is why Sterling Bullion Partners records the date on which the population was checked.
⸻
Understanding the Population and First Releases Designation
There is an important distinction between the NGC population and the First Releases designation.
NGC confirms that First Releases coins are listed separately within the NGC Census.
The certification evidence supplied for this particular coin establishes that it is:
PF70 Ultra Cameo
and:
First Releases
while displaying a PF70 Ultra Cameo population of:
5
For accuracy, the page therefore states the population as:
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 5
rather than claiming that only five First Releases examples exist unless the underlying First Releases Census category itself is separately established.
This distinction ensures the grade, designation and population are presented accurately.
⸻
A 200-Coin Gold Proof with a PF70 Population of 5
This particular coin brings together:
2023 St Helena Una and the Lion
Worldwide mintage of just 200
1 troy ounce of .9999 fine gold
Proof quality
Glyn Davies reverse
King Charles III obverse
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
NGC First Releases
PF70 Ultra Cameo population of just 5
0 graded higher
NGC Top Pop
These characteristics give the coin several distinct areas of collector interest rather than relying on one measure of scarcity alone.
The combination of a 200-coin worldwide issue and an NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo population of only 5 is particularly noteworthy.
⸻
Image Information
The slab images shown may include digitally produced representations for presentation purposes, with certification numbers and barcodes omitted.
Where detailed close-up photographs of the actual coin are shown, these provide a closer view of the genuine coin offered for sale.
⸻
Why Buy from Sterling Bullion Partners?
Every certified coin offered by Sterling Bullion Partners is carefully selected for its quality, authenticity and collector appeal.
When purchasing from Sterling Bullion Partners, you benefit from:
- Carefully selected certified coins
- Independently authenticated and professionally graded examples
- Detailed grading and population information
- Fully insured UK delivery
- Secure protective packaging
- Experienced customer support
- A UK precious-metals dealer committed to accuracy and transparency
With its 200-coin worldwide mintage, one-ounce .9999 fine-gold content and NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo First Releases Top Pop certification, the 2023 St Helena Una and the Lion represents a particularly limited certified modern Gold Proof.
⸻
Related Guides
To help you learn more about certified and collectable coins, you may also find these guides useful:
