The Royal Mint releases its penultimate Queen’s Beasts proof coin range – White Greyhound of Richmond

We’ve already covered the last of the Queen’s Beasts bullion coins with a new Bullion Coin Profile of the whole ten-coin series, so we won’t go over the whole thing again. The main difference as far as this release goes, is while the White Greyhound was the final bullion coin issue, because of a blip early in the series lifespan, this is only the 9th proof range.

A good looking coin, of course, as they have all been, we like how clean these are in comparison to the bullion variant. This is down to the absence of the ‘chain-mail’ background pattern. The only downside is the increase in the width of the border area, which we feel gives a slightly too claustrophobic look to the beast. Again, a minor point and you may feel differently. The obverse is the typical Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, as you would expect. The video lower down is from the last release, but we’ll update should they release a newer one.

No changes regarding the range of sizes on offer, although some very minor alterations to mintage numbers. Four silver coins range from 1 oz to 1 kilo, and four gold coins run from ¼ oz to 1 kilo. There’s a brilliant uncirculated base metal variant for those that collect them. We’re giving up commenting on price changes given the volatility in the market through 2020, but the seem in line with previous issues. Available to order now, most of the gold has already sold out, in line with hugely increased interest in the UK and around the world.

PRESS RELEASE

The Royal Mint, the original maker of UK coins, unleashes the White Greyhound of Richmond onto commemorative coins as the penultimate release in The Queen’s Beasts collection. Chosen as one of the ten ancestral beasts that lined the entrance to Westminster Abbey at Her Majesty The Queen’s coronation, the White Greyhound of Richmond has been reimagined for modern times.

The skilful blend of heraldic symbolism and dynamic realism are prominent with each commemorative coin design forming part of the Queen’s Beasts collection and the White Greyhound of Richmond commemorative coin is no exception. By using images of racing dogs as the basis of the coin design, this has achieved elegance in the design whilst also conveying the strength and power of the greyhound.

Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: “As the Queen’s Beasts collection nears its conclusion we are delighted to be revealing the next coin in the series – the White Greyhound of Richmond. The Queen’s Beasts collection features the ten ancestral beasts that lined the entrance to Westminster Abbey at Her Majesty The Queen’s coronation and has become a firm favourite amongst coin collectors. For the White Greyhound of Richmond coin design, the greyhound has been reimagined for modern times whilst also conveying its power and elegance.”

The Royal Mint has over 1,100 years of expertise in making coins which mark royal occasions as well as significant events and individuals. The greyhound was first used as a royal beast by Edward III. Closely associated with the House of Lancaster, it later became a symbol of the Tudor family when it was bestowed on Edmund Tudor by his half-brother Henry VI. After slaying Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Edmund’s son was crowned Henry VII. He used the white greyhound to display his Tudor and Lancastrian ancestry, denoting his right to rule.

Henry VII used a version of the Royal Arms featuring the White Greyhound of Richmond, a powerful heraldic expression of the ancestry that denoted his right to rule; a lineage that extends to our present queen, who is a direct descendant of his.