2018 Queen’s Beasts Red Dragon of Wales 1oz Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
£10,995.00
The 2018 Queen’s Beasts Red Dragon of Wales 1oz Gold Proof has a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 400 worldwide. Struck in 999.9 fine gold and featuring Jody Clark’s dramatic Red Dragon design, this example is certified NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo – the highest numerical Proof grade – with an NGC population of just 137 at the time of checking.
1 in stock
Description
2018 Queen’s Beasts Red Dragon of Wales 1oz Gold Proof NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo
The 2018 Queen’s Beasts Red Dragon of Wales One Ounce Gold Proof is a low-mintage modern British Proof coin from The Royal Mint’s celebrated Queen’s Beasts Collection.
The Red Dragon was the third design in the series, which was inspired by the ten heraldic beasts represented by statues that stood at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Created by Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark, the reverse presents a powerful modern interpretation of the Red Dragon of Wales, one of the most recognisable symbols of Welsh heraldry.
The Royal Mint confirms a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 400 for the 2018 One Ounce Gold Proof, struck in one ounce of 999.9 fine gold and finished to Proof standard.
This example has been independently authenticated and certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as PF70 Ultra Cameo, the highest numerical Proof grade.
At the time of checking on 14 August 2026, the NGC Census shown for this coin records 137 examples in PF70 Ultra Cameo, with none graded higher, making this an NGC Top Pop coin.
With a Maximum Coin Mintage of only 400, one ounce of fine gold, Jody Clark’s Red Dragon design and certification at NGC’s highest numerical Proof grade, this is a highly collectable certified example from one of The Royal Mint’s most recognisable modern series.
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Why This Coin Stands Out
The Queen’s Beasts Collection brought the history and symbolism of British heraldry to a major modern Royal Mint coin series.
The collection was inspired by the ten heraldic statues that stood at the entrance to Westminster Abbey for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, representing different strands of the ancestry inherited by the Queen.
The Red Dragon of Wales was the third design in the collection.
For the One Ounce Gold Proof specifically, The Royal Mint records a:
Maximum Coin Mintage: 400
The Royal Mint also states that only 400 Red Dragon of Wales coins were struck in the one-ounce 999.9 fine gold Proof format.
Its subsequently published sales data records 397 sales of the standard One Ounce Gold Proof presentation.
This particular example combines that restricted original issue with the highest numerical NGC Proof grade and Top Pop status.
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Specifications
- Year: 2018
- Country of Issue: United Kingdom
- Denomination: £100
- Series: The Queen’s Beasts
- Design: Red Dragon of Wales
- Issuing Authority: The Royal Mint
- Metal: Gold
- Fineness: 999.9 Fine Gold
- Weight: 31.210g
- Fine Gold Content: Approximately 1 troy oz
- Diameter: 32.69mm
- Quality: Proof
- Maximum Coin Mintage: 400
- Obverse Designer: Jody Clark
- Reverse Designer: Jody Clark
- Grading Company: NGC
- Grade: PF70 Ultra Cameo
- NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 137
- Higher Grades: 0
- NGC Status: Top Pop
- Population Checked: 14 August 2026
The Royal Mint confirms the £100 denomination, 400 Maximum Coin Mintage, 999.9 fine gold composition, 31.210g weight, 32.69mm diameter, Proof quality and Jody Clark as designer of both sides.
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A Maximum Coin Mintage of Just 400
The Royal Mint officially records a:
Maximum Coin Mintage: 400
for the 2018 Red Dragon of Wales One Ounce Gold Proof.
The Mint’s dedicated product record goes further, stating that only 400 Red Dragon of Wales coins were struck in one ounce of 999.9 fine gold.
The Royal Mint’s separate 2018 sales records list 397 sales for the standard One Ounce Gold Proof presentation.
The Maximum Coin Mintage should also be considered separately from the NGC population.
Mintage tells us the maximum number of coins authorised for the issue, while population tells us how many examples have currently been certified by a particular grading service at a particular grade.
For this coin, the figures are:
Maximum Coin Mintage: 400
NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Population: 137
These measure two different aspects of the coin’s scarcity.
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Why NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo Matters
This example has been independently authenticated, encapsulated and graded by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as:
PF70 Ultra Cameo
PF70 represents the highest numerical Proof grade on NGC’s grading scale.
The Ultra Cameo designation recognises the strong contrast between the coin’s frosted design elements and mirrored fields – one of the defining visual characteristics of high-quality modern Proof coinage. NGC specifically uses the Ultra Cameo designation to identify this pronounced cameo contrast.
On Jody Clark’s Red Dragon design, this contrast helps emphasise the detailed dragon, heraldic shield and surrounding inscriptions against the reflective Proof fields.
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NGC Population
At the time of checking on 14 August 2026:
- NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo: 137
- Higher Grades: 0
- NGC Top Pop
The NGC Census shown for this coin records 137 examples in PF70 Ultra Cameo at the time of checking.
As PF70 is the highest numerical Proof grade, there is no higher numerical grade.
The original mintage and NGC population measure two different things. The Maximum Coin Mintage of 400 establishes the maximum size of the issue, while the NGC population records how many examples have currently been certified by NGC at this particular grade.
Population figures can change as additional coins are submitted for certification, which is why Sterling Bullion Partners records the date on which each population figure is checked.
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The Red Dragon of Wales
The reverse features Jody Clark’s interpretation of the Red Dragon of Wales, one of the most recognisable symbols associated with Wales.
The dragon has deep roots in Welsh heraldry and has long been associated with sovereignty and power. The Red Dragon of Cadwaladr became an enduring emblem of Wales and the dragon also featured in royal heraldry during the Tudor period.
Clark’s composition places the powerful dragon alongside a heraldic shield, its wings, scales, claws and coiled tail filling the coin’s reverse.
The surrounding inscription identifies the beast as:
RED DRAGON OF WALES
with the date:
2018
The large one-ounce format provides a substantial canvas for the detail of Clark’s modern heraldic interpretation.
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The Queen’s Beasts Collection
The Queen’s Beasts Collection was inspired by the ten heraldic beasts represented by statues that stood at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Each beast represented a different strand of the Queen’s royal ancestry and the heraldic history inherited through generations of the monarchy.
The Red Dragon of Wales was the third design in The Royal Mint’s modern Queen’s Beasts series.
The wider collection brought these historic symbols to life through contemporary designs created by Jody Clark across a range of precious-metal Proof and bullion coins.
For collectors of the series, the One Ounce Gold Proof occupies a particularly limited position, with only 400 permitted under its Maximum Coin Mintage.
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Jody Clark’s Design
An interesting characteristic of this coin is that Jody Clark designed both sides.
Clark created the Red Dragon reverse and was also responsible for the definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II appearing on the obverse.
The Royal Mint officially records:
Reverse Designer: Jody Clark
Obverse Designer: Jody Clark
Clark was the youngest artist in more than a century to create a definitive coinage portrait of a British monarch when his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was selected.
His work on the Queen’s Beasts therefore created the unusual situation in which his designs could appear simultaneously on both sides of the same British coin.
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The Queen Elizabeth II Obverse
The obverse carries Jody Clark’s fifth definitive coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Clark’s portrait was introduced onto British coinage in 2015 and remained the definitive portrait used during the latter years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
The surrounding inscription incorporates the coin’s legal-tender denomination of:
100 POUNDS
The pairing of Clark’s royal portrait with his Red Dragon reverse means the artistic work on both sides of this particular coin comes from the same Royal Mint designer.
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Struck in One Ounce of 999.9 Fine Gold
The Red Dragon of Wales One Ounce Gold Proof is struck in:
999.9 Fine Gold
The Royal Mint specifies a total weight of:
31.210g
with a diameter of:
32.69mm.
This represents approximately one troy ounce of fine gold.
Its Royal Mint specifications are:
Metal: Gold
Fineness: 999.9 Fine Gold
Weight: 31.210g
Fine Gold Content: approximately 1 troy oz
Diameter: 32.69mm
Quality: Proof
Denomination: £100
Maximum Coin Mintage: 400
The combination of high-purity gold and the specialised Proof finish differentiates this issue from the bullion versions produced for the precious-metals market.
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Proof Coin Versus Bullion Coin
The distinction between Proof and bullion is particularly important with the Queen’s Beasts series because the designs were produced in both collector and bullion formats.
This coin is the One Ounce Gold Proof, not the standard bullion Red Dragon.
The Royal Mint explains that Proof coins are produced using hand-finished dies, with individual blanks fed into the coin press by hand and struck multiple times at lower speed to preserve the finer details of the design.
The result is the highly reflective fields and detailed relief associated with Proof coinage.
More importantly from a numismatic perspective, this Gold Proof has a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 400.
Its limited mintage, specialised Proof production, Queen’s Beasts provenance and NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo certification give this example a clear numismatic dimension beyond the value of its underlying one ounce of gold.
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A Modern British Numismatic Gold Coin
The Queen’s Beasts Collection occupies a distinctive position within modern Royal Mint coinage.
It combines British royal history and heraldry with contemporary coin design, while the limited Gold Proof editions provide a significantly scarcer counterpart to the more widely produced bullion coins.
For collectors of modern British Proof gold, the 2018 Red Dragon of Wales brings together several desirable characteristics:
- A Maximum Coin Mintage of just 400
- One ounce of 999.9 fine gold
- Jody Clark’s Red Dragon design
- The third design in the Queen’s Beasts series
- NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo certification
- An NGC PF70 population of 137 at the time of checking
- NGC Top Pop status
With only 400 coins permitted under the Maximum Coin Mintage and 137 examples recorded by NGC in PF70 Ultra Cameo at the time of checking, this is a highly collectable certified example from The Royal Mint’s Queen’s Beasts Collection.
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Image Information
The slab images shown are digitally produced representations for presentation purposes, with certification numbers and barcodes omitted. The close-up coin photographs show the actual coin offered for sale.
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Why Buy from Sterling Bullion Partners?
Every certified coin offered by Sterling Bullion Partners is carefully selected for its quality, authenticity and collector appeal.
When purchasing from Sterling Bullion Partners, you benefit from:
- Carefully selected certified coins
- Independently authenticated and professionally graded examples
- Detailed close-up photographs of the actual coin offered for sale
- Fully insured UK delivery
- Secure protective packaging
- Experienced customer support
- A UK precious metals dealer committed to accuracy and transparency
With a Maximum Coin Mintage of just 400, one ounce of 999.9 fine gold, Jody Clark’s Red Dragon design and NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo certification, the 2018 Queen’s Beasts Red Dragon of Wales represents an outstanding certified example from one of The Royal Mint’s most recognisable modern collections.
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