2021 Great Britain 1 oz Gold Queen's Beasts The White Greyhound

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The year 2021 marked the culmination of a celebrated numismatic journey with the tenth and final release in the Queen's Beasts series. Struck by The Royal Mint, this impressive coin contains one troy ounce of highly pure 0.9999 fine gold. Backed by the British government as a sovereign coin, it carries a face value of 100 pounds. The reverse of the coin, designed by artist Jody Clark, showcases the majestic White Greyhound of Richmond. This heraldic beast is traditionally linked to virtues of physical fitness, exceptional skill, fidelity, and steadfast loyalty. Historically, the greyhound served as a personal badge for the descendants of King Edward III, eventually finding its way into the symbolism of the House of Lancaster before being inherited by the Tudor dynasty. On the obverse, the coin displays the familiar portrait of Queen Elizabeth II alongside the denomination. The entire Queen's Beasts collection, which began in 2016, draws its inspiration from the ten heraldic plaster statues sculpted by James Woodford for the Queen's coronation ceremony in 1953. While the original plaster figures are preserved in the Canadian Museum of History, visitors can still admire stone replicas of these guardian beasts in Kew Gardens, located in the United Kingdom.