2020 1/4oz White Horse of Hanover, Queen's Beast Gold Coin

This beautiful 2020 1/4 oz gold coin is the ninth of a series of ten that feature the "Queen's Beasts", this one being the White Horse of the House of Hanover.

George the First was the first Hanoverian to rule Britain in 1714, chosen since he was the closest living Protestant relative to Queen Anne. His German lineage, Haus Hanover, grew as an offshoot of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Duchy of Brunswick - an area since lost with Germany's declaration as a republic in 1918.

The White Horse is depicted rearing up over George I's Royal Coat of Arms. This is to show it is a Kentish horse, rather than the galloping German horse of Hanover. The emblem beneath is split into four, with a quarter referencing each of Britain (England & Scotland), France, Ireland, and Hanover (Brunswick, Lüneburg, and Hanover).

The Queen's Beasts are ten statues which stood guard for the Queen's Coronation, sculpted by James Woodford RA in 1953. The Queen's Beasts are still standing, but are currently housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, Canada. Stone replicas of the statues reside at Kew Gardens, London.

The coin is 24-carat (or 999.9 purity) and contains a quarter of an ounce of gold. Both the obverse and reverse are designed by the Royal Mint's Jody Clark.

Learn more about the Royal Mint Queen's Beast series, including future releases.