The Queen's Beasts 2021 24k Gold White Greyhound MS70

Like all coins in this Queen’s Beasts series both the obverse and reverse are designed by Jody Clark. The Queen's Beasts coins are based on the ten statues which stood guard outside Westminster Abbey for the Queen's Coronation in 1953. They were originally sculpted by J. Woodford RA in 1953 and represent the various houses in the Queen's ancestry. Over the past five years the Royal Mint have released 10 coins, each representing a heraldic device used by one of the houses in the Queen's lineage.

This popular series concludes with a design showcasing the majestic White Greyhound of Richmond. In 1449, Henry VI granted the earldom of Richmond to his half-brother Edmund Tudor. With this grant, Edmund received Henry’s permission to use a particular version of the Royal Arms featuring a white greyhound as a heraldic supporter. Edmund’s only son would become Henry VII when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The greyhound expressed both his Tudor and Lancastrian ancestry, through which he claimed the throne.

The shield the white greyhound is clutching shows the Tudor rose. Combining the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York, it symbolises how Henry VII united these warring houses, ending the Wars of the Roses. Artist Jody Clark captures the greyhound’s nobility, as well as its power and elegance. Featuring a secure chainmail background, the realism of the White Greyhound of Richmond is displayed to its fullest.

The coin weighs one ounce and is 24-carat (.9999 purity). It is worth noting that as this is classed as British currency, this coin, like many other British coins, is VAT-free and is exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT).