Gold coin Little John

This gold collectible coin from the Royal Mint is struck in 1 troy ounce of pure gold (99.99%) and has a diameter of 32.69 mm. Along with the Robin Hood and Maid Marian coins, the Little John coin is part of the myths and legends series. Robin Hood comes from an old story about a charming archer who helped the poor. Little John and Maid Marian are the companions of Robin Hood.

The first known mention of Robin Hood and Little John is found in the Scotichronicon, which refers to: “the famous murderer, Robin Hood, as well as Little John”. Little John appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood stories. In the early stories, Little John is depicted as intelligent and very capable. In “A Gest of Robyn Hode,” he captures a distressed knight and, when Robin Hood decides to pay the knight's mortgage for him, he accompanies him as a servant. In the 15th-century ballad “Robin Hood and the Monk,” Little John leaves in a rage after a dispute with Robin. When Robin Hood is captured, it is Little John who plans the rescue of his leader. In gratitude, Robin offers Little John the leadership of the band, but John refuses. The figure's loyalty and fortitude are also shown in the design of this coin.

The Myths and Legends series

The Royal Mint began issuing the myths and legends series in 2021. In this series, the mint looks back at British folklore. Accordingly, the first three coins of the series depict the legendary trio of the story of Robin Hood: Robin Hood, Little John and Maid Marian. Jody Clark was commissioned to design a modern interpretation of the figures and succeeded excellently. Clark chose to use the setting of the Robin Hood legend, Sherwood Forest, as the backdrop for each of the designs. The archer, his loyal friend, and the heroine of the story are thus honoured with this special series of collectible coins from the Royal Mint.