Five Pounds 2025 Royal Tudor Beasts - Greyhound of Richmond, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

At the time of decimalisation in 1971, the United Kingdom Crown coin (equal to 5 shillings) was redenominated as a 25p coin and pieces struck prior to 1990 - all the way back to 1818 - continue to be legal tender for that amount. The old denomination had been a regular circulating coin in the 19th century, but in the 20th century it became more of a commemorative denomination.

The Royal Mint continued issuing commemorative coins in the same format - using the traditional coin dimensions, but in copper-nickel. These were initially also denominated as 25 pence but the "Crown" was changed in 1990 to a commemorative £5 (five pound) coin, having the same dimensions and weight but with a face value twenty times as great.

The denomination is used to mark special occasions, usually royal in theme, rather than for use in general circulation. Although not circulating, these coins are legal tender.

This coin type is the eighth out of ten designs from the Royal Tudor Beasts Collection - coins depicting heraldic animals representing the Medieval Tudor dynasty which ruled England between 1485 and 1603, and features The Greyhound of Richmond.

The Moat Bridge, the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace built by King Henry VIII, is adorned by ten stone guardians known as the King's Beasts. Each fearsome Royal Beast holds historic meaning and the ten figures evenly represent Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. These regal protectors provided the inspiration for The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection from The Royal Mint.

In their astute employment of beasts, the Tudor dynasty aimed to convey symbolic representations of their virtues and strengths by invoking animals previously associated with earlier royal lineages. King Henry VIII inherited the heraldic greyhound from King Edward III and the House of Lancaster. Initially adopted by Henry VIII’s grandfather, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, the white greyhound became identified as the White Greyhound of Richmond. This emblem held great significance for Henry VIII as it symbolised both the House of Lancaster and the House of Tudor, reinforcing his legitimate claim to the throne through both dynasties.

The greyhound on the Moat Bridge bears a shield shaped like those used for jousting, one of Henry VIII’s favourite sports. During the king’s reign, he suffered numerous jousting injuries and some historians believe that they were the underlying cause behind his increasingly volatile personality.