The Queen's Beasts The White Greyhound 1/4 Oz 2021

The Queen´s Beasts - White Hound of Richmond - 1/4 Oz

The 1/4 Oz (7.78 g) gold investment coin in purity of the purest 99.99% gold issued by the Royal British Mint for 2021 is the tenth and final coin in the "The Queen's Beasts" series, which is dedicated to the ten heraldic animals of Queen Elizabeth II - the Lion of England, the Griffin of Edward III., The Falcon of the Plantagenets, the Black Bull of the Dukes of Clarence, the Yale Beaufort, the White Lion of the Mortimers, the Red Dragon of Wales, the Unicorn of Scotland, the White Horse of Hanover and the White Hound of Richmond.

The reverse of the coin depicts the greyhound erect on its hind legs and holding the armorial shield with its forepaw. The armorial shield, divided in half, bears a double Tudor rose, which is both subordinate to and under the protection of the royal crown. The Tudor rose heraldically links the two rival branches of the English royal dynasty of the Plantagenets - the white rose of the Yorks and the red rose of the Lancasters. The rim of the motif is decorated with the inscription "WHITE GREYHOUND OF RICHMOND", the weight, purity, year of issue and the initials of the designer "JC".
The Queen's Beasts is a series of ten sculptures created by sculptor James Woodford to mark the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. Their stylized form for the coin series was created by the talented engraver Jody Clark.
The origins of the Richmond white greyhound date back to the 14th century and are linked to John of Ghent, the third son of King Edward III of England. This dog breed was very popular in the north of England and in heraldry signified majesty, courage, vigilance, swiftness and loyalty. John of Ghent chose the greyhound for his coat of arms used with the title of Earl of Richmond. The influential title was tied to one of the most important fiefs in England, the Honnour of Richmond. After marrying the wealthy heiress Blanca of Lancaster, he became Duke of Lancaster and founder of the eponymous royal house. The legitimation of his illegitimate descendants gave rise to the House of Beaufort, from which the first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, descended from his mother.
The title of Earl of Richmond has often lapsed in English history, only to be revived subsequently. Edmund Tudor, with the newly conferred title of 1st Earl of Richmond in 1452, first used the white greyhound and Tudor rose for his standard. From there it rises to the royal standard during the reign of his son Henry VII. At the same time, the white greyhound of Richmond replaces the lion of England in place of the shield bearer, which becomes, with the red dragon of Wales, the heraldic bearer of the royal arms.

The obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which is the fifth and definitive coin portrait of the Queen. This is followed by the artist's initials 'J.C.', the inscriptions 'ELIZABETH II. D.G. REG.F.D." and the face value.

This product is part of the following product sets: