Silver Ounce 2025 Royal Tudor Beasts - Greyhound of Richmond, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The one ounce (1 oz) silver coins are denominated as either two pounds (£2) or five pounds (£5), depending on the occasion.

Initially, these were only of the Britannia type, but in 2015 the Royal Mint started to use the format for coins with other types of reverse designs, celebrating various aspects of British heritage.

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art.

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.