When she stepped inside of Westminster Abbey in 1953 to take the crown as Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II walked through the doors of the Abbey under the watchful guard of 10 heraldic beasts known as the Queen’s Beasts. These creatures are key to the Royal Arms of England, and feature in the stunning Queen’s Beast Collection of gold and silver coins from the Royal Mint. The 2018 10 oz British Silver Queen’s Beast Dragon Coin is now available to you for purchase online from JM Bullion.
Coin Highlights:
- Arrives inside of a protective capsule!
- 3rd design in the bullion Queen’s Beast Series!
- Contains 10 Troy oz of .9999 pure silver in Uncirculated condition.
- Issued a face value of £10 (GBP) by Britain.
- Obverse includes the fifth-generation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Reverse features the Red Dragon of Wales with the arms of Llewelyn ap Griffith.
- Artwork by Jody Clark.
The Red Dragon of Wales is one of the oldest beasts to feature in British heraldry. Dragons are spoken of in mythical terms in legends around the world. For Europeans, the dragon was a frightening beast, but revered by some as strong, wise, and powerful. The first mention of dragons in Wales came in the 6th century AD.
At this time, the dragon was known as the red dragon of Cadwallader, who was known as the legendary king of Gwynedd. Owen Tudor is responsible for bringing the dragon into the Royal Arms through his grandson, the man who would become King Henry VII. His troops carried the fiery red dragon standard into battle at the Battle of Bosworth when Henry secured the crown of England.
On the reverse of the 2018 10 oz British Silver Queen’s Beast Dragon Coin is Queen’s Beast version of the Red Dragon. Queen Elizabeth II is actually responsible for making the red dragon on a green-and-white background the official flag of Wales in 1959. This Queen’s Beast version depicts the red dragon with a yellow underbelly holding a shield with four quadrants, each containing a leopard. This is the royal arms of Llewelyn ap Griffith, the last native prince of Wales.
The obverse of all 2018 British Silver Queen’s Beast Dragon Coins features a right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. In this depiction, she is captured at the age of 89. It was developed for British coinage in 2015 by Royal Mint Engraver Jody Clark, who at 33 years old became the youngest artist to complete the Queen’s effigy.
2018 10 oz British Silver Queen’s Beast Dragon Coins listed here are in Uncirculated condition. Coins in Uncirculated condition show may show a sign of wear and tear but may feature minor flaws such as breaks in the luster, spotted surfaces, or contact marks.
We encourage JM Bullion customers to contact us at 800-276-6508 with questions. You can also connect with us online using our live chat and email address.
“Just received my 10 oz. Queens dragon coin. Not quite what I expected. Much better. Beautiful specimen. Don’t believe I will be buying groceries with it any time soon.”