The lion is the heraldic symbol of the Spanish city of León and its province. It was also the symbol of the Kingdom of León before the kingdom of Spain existed. It was used for the first time in the coins minted by King Alfonso VII (1126–1157). Before that, the symbol mainly used by the Leonese kings in documents and on their coins was the cross. Since Alfonso VII's reign, the cross became more and more often replaced by the lion.