2018 Queen's Beasts Red Dragon Of Wales One Ounce Gold Proof Coin

The Queen's Beasts
New coins in the Royal Mint's Queen's Beasts collection have been flying off the shelves since the first design was revealed in 2016.  Coins in the collection combine lifelike animals with graphic heraldic elements.

The series was inspired by ten statues – crafted by sculptor James Woodford – that stood guard during the Queen's 1953 coronation.  Featuring the real and mythological beasts that appear on the coats of arms of British royal houses, the Queen's Beasts symbolise Her Majesty's noble lineage.

All ten designs in the series, as well as the final Completer piece, released in 2021, are the work of the Royal Mint's Jody Clark.  He's in the unusual position of having his work on both sides of the Queen's Beasts coin as he is also responsible for the fifth definitive portrait of Elizabeth II.

Red Dragon of Wales
The image of the Y Ddraig Goch (red dragon) has been associated with Wales since as early as the sixth century.  The snarling serpent that stars on this coin curls its tail around the coat of arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales before the nation’s conquest by English King Edward I.

Later, the Red Dragon was coopted as a heraldic supported by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that ruled England and Wales from 1485 to 1603.  The beast takes centre stage on the national flag of Wales where it appears 'passant' on a green and white background.

The Red Dragon was the third Queen’s Beasts proof coin, released in 2018 though a bullion edition was offered the previous year with a 2017 date.

One Ounce Gold Proof
This Queen's Beasts coin has a face value of £25 / Twenty-Five Pounds.

This quarter ounce gold edition is from a limited mintage of 397 pieces.

It's struck in 31.21 grams of .9999 gold: that's 24 carat.  The diameter of this piece is 32.69 millimetres.

This coin is offered in The Royal Mint's finest proof finish.  Intended for collectors, proof coins are stuck multiple times with hand-prepared dies for a high level of detail and lustre.