That thing the King of Pentacles is stepping on...
I've heard people say it was different things (most commonly, a helmet), but I feel quite certain that it is a badger. The badger is a symbol of greed, so i think it makes sense. It reminds me of the Hindu statues of the dancing Shiva-Nataraja, stamping out the demon on ignorance beneath his foot.
http://www.wildlifeartiststudio.com/badger15.JPG
I cannot believe I forgot about that creature.
In my opinion, I think it is an armadillo. Before I got the giant RWS, I couldn't tell what that was. But, it seems to have a shell. At first I thought it could be a crocodile, but the head wasn't the right shape and a crocodile wouldn't be in an earth suit. But now I'm pretty certain it's an armadillo and I have found others on the internet that agree. However, I/We could be wrong. Unfortunately, Waite doesn't say in his Pictorial Key. So it's up to us to decide. So we are all right.
These are the traditional meanings I could find:
Armadillos love to dig and burrow with their sharp, little claws. This speaks to us symbolically about searching, discovering, and getting to the "root" of the matter.
(from whats-your-sign.com) And...
Also I found:
This creature knows that he is in charge of what he chooses to experience in life. If an Armadillo comes across a situation he doesn't want to be a part of, he just curls up into a ball, using shields to define clear boundaries.
(at
http://spiritsymbols.blogspot.com/2012/09/armadillo.html)
I think the 2nd applies because as King he is self-disciplined and in control. But he can be stubborn, so I can see him curling up and hiding.
Again, the symbolism is amazing!!