The second of Coins Today’s mythical beast themed series has released just before year’s end, and following on from an impressive dragon debut, we stay close to that with another ancient legend, the Griffin. Dating back to Greek & Persian times, it was a mix of lion and eagle, having the body, tail, and back legs of the former, and the head, wings, and front talons of the latter. I’ve seen some cool speculation that the myth is based on fossils of a dinosaur called Protoceratops, but they seem to have been debunked recently. The Griffin was a popular heraldic beast throughout Europe.

This isn’t a denominated coin, so consider it more of a silver miniature than anything else. While the dragon issue was made of three ounces of fine silver, this griffin utilises just two, so it will obviously be more affordable. Despite that, it reaches a similar size, with the weight differential likely being attributable to the lighter build of the subject.

The depiction here is absolutely first-class. Details abound, especially on the feathered areas, of which there are many, and the subtle and restrained use of colour is a nice touch, although it is only present on one side. I know it seems odd to talk about anatomy with such a subject, but given its mythological make-up, it looks perfect. A very impressive effort.

Like the first issue, this one comes with a marble-style pedestal, complete with a Greek ionic-style top, onto which the griffin, in its capsule, can stand. A fine-looking design, a tight mintage (1,500), and a clever display stand, make this out to be one of the best representations of the old mythical Greek menagerie we’ve seen in silver. Available to order now.