The Lion King — Simba (gold 0.5 g)

The Lion King is a feature-length animated film by Walt Disney Animation Studios, released in June 1994; it was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and produced by Don Hahn. It tells the story of the lion cub Simba, heir to the throne in the Pride Lands: his father, King Mufasa, dies as a result of a scheme by his own brother Scar, the boy flees in despair, finds new friends — the meerkat Timon and the warthog Pumbaa, who live by the motto “Hakuna Matata” (“no worries” in Swahili) — but returns as an adult to accept responsibility and restore harmony to the kingdom. This is exactly how the mint itself describes the film: a true journey of initiation in which the hero must overcome a tragic loss, forgive himself for his mistakes and take his rightful place. The music was written by Hans Zimmer, the songs by Elton John and Tim Rice; “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” have long lived on their own, and in 1995 the film won Academy Awards for its score and for the song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. The plot is often compared with Shakespeare’s Hamlet: a murdered king, a usurping uncle and an heir who must reclaim what is his. Later came a Broadway musical (1997), Jon Favreau’s live-action version (2019) and the film Mufasa: The Lion King (December 2024).

For the 30th anniversary of the premiere the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris) issued, under a Disney licence, the collection “Disney — The Lion King, 30th anniversary” (Le Roi Lion, 30ème anniversaire). According to the mint and the Numista catalogue it comprises seven coins: three silver 10-euro coins (a coloured .333 silver coin in a card, a coloured .999 silver “Hakuna Matata” coin and a rectangular uncoloured .999 silver coin), a five-ounce silver 50-euro coin and three gold coins of 5, 50 and 200 euros. The mint calls it a “new collection” celebrating the timeless heritage of Walt Disney, where the studio’s characters meet the age-old craftsmanship of the Monnaie de Paris; a separate miniset of the three new French 10, 20 and 50 euro-cent coins (mintage 500) was also released — it is not counted as a coin of the issue. The engraver of all the round coins of the collection, according to Numista, is Joaquin Jimenez, chief engraver of the Mint since 2020.

The smallest coin of the collection is a 5-euro coin in .999 gold: weight only 0.5 gram, diameter 11 millimetres, Belle Épreuve, mintage 3,000 pieces, mint price 150 euros. The coin is uncoloured, pure engraving; Numista describes it as gold (KM# 3452, N# 442073). It comes in a case with a certificate; at 150 euros it is the most accessible entry to the gold range of the collection. A mintage of 3,000 is the largest among the gold coins of the collection (against 500 and 250 for the larger denominations).

The artistic side shows the cub Simba, the same character as on the coloured .333 silver coin: he is the main hero and the figure around whom the story of growing up, loss and homecoming is built.

Obverse

The artistic side: the young Simba; the inscriptions “Disney — LE ROI LION”, the figure “30” and the year “2024”. All is executed in relief on the gold field, without colour.

Reverse

The official side shows Mufasa majestically rising above Lion’s Rock — a symbol of the strength and wisdom inherited by Simba. It also carries the face value “5 EURO”, the initials of the French Republic “RF”, the copyright mark “© Disney”, the Disney logo and the inscription “LE ROI LION”.