The Lion King — Simba (silver .333)

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.

This coin is the mass-market version of the collection: a 10-euro coin in .333 silver (billon), weighing 13 grams, 31 millimetres in diameter, in Brillant Universel (BU, “uncirculated”) quality, with a mintage of 10,000 pieces and an issue price of 15 euros from the mint. It is sold in an orange cardboard card with a blister (cartelette): the front of the card shows Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. Only a third of the alloy is silver, the rest is copper, so the coin is hard-wearing and inexpensive; the mint’s logic is clear — to give fans of the Disney line an affordable entry into the collection and leave the engraving-grade and gold level to the proofs. The colour is printed directly onto the metal. Being denominated in euros, it is legal tender in France like the mint’s other commemorative coins. It is the only round coin of the collection of 31 millimetres, and the only one that can be bought from the mint for less than one hundred euros.

Obverse

The artistic side is a colour portrait of the young Simba. The field of the coin is decorated with tropical leaves and the logo of the film’s 30th anniversary; the legend “Disney — LE ROI LION”, the figure “30”, the year “2024” and the mark “© Disney” complete the design. The colour is applied only to the figure of the cub and the leaves, the rest is bare metal in relief.

Reverse

The official side follows the standard French design for circulating-quality coins: “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” in an arc (in three hexagons), “EURO 10” in the centre between branches of laurel and oak, and the year below. The mint marks and the personal mark of the engraver Joaquin Jimenez — a rhinoceros — are also here.