Description

The 2021 ‘White Greyhound of Richmond’ is the tenth coin in the popular “Queen’s Beasts” series from The Royal Mint. These 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.

The White Greyhound comes to the Queen as the badge of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and Earl of Richmond, who was the father of Henry IV. It represents honour and has associations with the north of England and with the Celtic Britons. As in the

original statue, the greyhound bears a shield with the Tudor Rose ensigned by a Royal Crown.

The Royal Mint issued an initial 5,000 coins, though the Queen’s Beast series is officially of unlimited mintage until the end of the year of issue.