2018 1/4 Oz Great Britain Queen's Beast Gold Coin (Unicorn) - BU

Product ID: BST-0010754096

Specifications

Year 2018
Precious Metal Type Gold
Bullion Coin Type Queen's Beasts
Format Coin
Country of Origin Great Britain
Brand/Mint The Royal Mint
Purity 0.9999
Weight 0.25 oz
Thickness (mm) 1.6 mm
Diameter (mm) 22 mm
Inner Pack (Quantity) 25
Outer Pack (Quantity) 500
Grade BU

Product Details

Overview of the 2018 Queen's Beast Unicorn 1/4 oz Gold Coin

The 2018 Queen's Beast Unicorn is a 1/4 oz gold coin struck by The Royal Mint at .9999 fineness and issued as part of the United Kingdom's acclaimed Queen's Beast series. It carries legal tender status under the authority of the Crown and features a face value denomination consistent with the broader Queen's Beast fractional lineup. The coin is graded Brilliant Uncirculated, meaning it has never been in circulation and retains the sharp strike and luster characteristic of freshly minted coins.

The Queen's Beast series draws from a set of ten heraldic guardians that stood watch at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and the Unicorn of Scotland holds a distinctive place among them as a symbol of Scottish national identity. We carry this coin as a recognized fractional gold option from one of the most storied mints in the world, combining strong design credentials with a specification that appeals to collectors and buyers seeking entry-level gold weight at high purity.

History and Background

The Royal Mint traces its origins to the 9th century, making it one of the oldest operating mints in the world. For centur

Overview of the 2018 Queen's Beast Unicorn 1/4 oz Gold Coin

The 2018 Queen's Beast Unicorn is a 1/4 oz gold coin struck by The Royal Mint at .9999 fineness and issued as part of the United Kingdom's acclaimed Queen's Beast series. It carries legal tender status under the authority of the Crown and features a face value denomination consistent with the broader Queen's Beast fractional lineup. The coin is graded Brilliant Uncirculated, meaning it has never been in circulation and retains the sharp strike and luster characteristic of freshly minted coins.

The Queen's Beast series draws from a set of ten heraldic guardians that stood watch at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and the Unicorn of Scotland holds a distinctive place among them as a symbol of Scottish national identity. We carry this coin as a recognized fractional gold option from one of the most storied mints in the world, combining strong design credentials with a specification that appeals to collectors and buyers seeking entry-level gold weight at high purity.

History and Background

The Royal Mint traces its origins to the 9th century, making it one of the oldest operating mints in the world. For centuries it was based within the Tower of London before relocating to its current facility in Llantrisant, Wales, where it produces coinage for the United Kingdom and numerous other nations. Its reputation for precision, consistency, and artistic quality is among the most established in the global minting industry.

The Queen's Beast series launched in 2016 with the Lion of England and was designed as a ten-coin collector series celebrating the heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom. The Unicorn of Scotland appeared in 2018 as the fifth release in the series. Each coin in the series was struck across multiple sizes, including 2 oz silver and fractional gold formats, allowing collectors to build complete sets at various price points and weight tiers.

The Unicorn of Scotland itself has been a symbol of Scottish heraldry for centuries and became one of the two supporters on the royal coat of arms when James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne in 1603. Its inclusion in the Queen's Beast lineup acknowledges both its ceremonial role at the 1953 coronation and its deep roots in British royal iconography.

Design and Aesthetics

The obverse of this coin carries the fifth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, first introduced in 2015. The effigy depicts the Queen in right-facing profile wearing the George IV State Diadem, with inscriptions noting her name, the issuing country, and the face value denomination. Clark's portrait is recognized for its fine detail and a more regal, composed presentation than earlier iterations.

The reverse, designed by Jody Clark as well, presents the Unicorn of Scotland in an assertive, rearing stance with a crown around its neck and a shield bearing the Scottish royal coat of arms. The imagery is rendered with strong relief and bold linework that gives the coin a commanding visual presence despite its 1/4 oz format. The background is plain and uncluttered, which allows the sculptural quality of the unicorn to remain the dominant focal point.

As a Brilliant Uncirculated strike, the coin's surfaces exhibit the clean, mirror-like fields and sharp design elements that define the BU standard. The .9999 gold composition contributes a warm, deep yellow tone that complements the precision of the engraving.

Fractional Size and Accessibility

At 1/4 oz, this coin sits at an accessible price point relative to full-ounce gold, making it practical for buyers who want to acquire gold in smaller increments or complete a fractional Queen's Beast collection without committing to larger denominations at once. The coin's size does not compromise its design, and the reverse imagery translates with notable clarity at the reduced diameter.

Fractional gold coins like this one also lend themselves to more flexible handling as physical holdings, since their smaller denomination makes it easier to buy or sell individual pieces without needing to transact a full ounce at a time. For collectors building a complete Queen's Beast set, the 1/4 oz gold format represents a self-contained and widely recognized tier within the series.

Authenticity and Product Integrity

Each coin in the Queen's Beast series is struck at The Royal Mint to .9999 gold fineness, meeting one of the highest purity standards available in modern sovereign gold coinage. The Royal Mint's quality controls and production tolerances are among the most rigorous in the industry, and every piece is minted to precise weight and diameter specifications that are consistent across the entire series run.

We verify every product for authenticity and specification compliance before it reaches a customer. As authorized dealers for both PCGS and NGC, we maintain established relationships with the leading third-party grading services in numismatics, which reinforces our commitment to handling only genuine, properly graded material. Royal Mint sovereign coins carry inherent authentication credibility given the mint's exacting production standards and the difficulty of replicating their die work and finish quality.

Condition and Packaging

Brilliant Uncirculated denotes a coin that has never entered general circulation and retains full mint luster with no wear on the high points of the design. BU coins may exhibit minor contact marks or bag marks from the minting and handling process, but these do not affect the classification or the integrity of the coin's surfaces in any meaningful way for this grade tier.

Individual coins ship in a protective plastic flip to preserve their condition during transit. Tubes containing the standard quantity for this issue, typically 40 coins per tube, ship as sealed tubes, and orders at the full box quantity ship in a sealed Royal Mint box. Packaging is handled to maintain the coin's BU condition from our facility to your door, and the sealed nature of standard Royal Mint packaging provides additional assurance when purchasing in larger quantities.

Pricing and Market Factors

The price of this coin moves in direct response to the spot price of gold, with a premium added above spot that reflects the coin's fractional format, The Royal Mint's production standards, and the collector demand associated with the Queen's Beast series. Fractional gold coins generally carry higher premiums per troy ounce than their full-ounce equivalents due to the proportionally greater production cost and lower total metal per unit.

Demand for the Queen's Beast series has historically been strong relative to many sovereign fractional gold offerings, which has supported premium levels above those seen on generic fractional coins. Series completion demand from collectors adds a layer of market interest that goes beyond straightforward bullion buying. Our pricing reflects live market conditions and is structured to give you a clear picture of what you are paying above spot at any given moment.

Selling and Liquidity

The Queen's Beast series carries strong global recognition, particularly in North American, European, and Asian markets where Royal Mint coinage has an established trading presence. The .9999 gold standard and sovereign issuance make the coin straightforward to evaluate for resale purposes, and the series' collector profile adds demand from buyers who are specifically seeking individual issues to complete their sets.

We operate a two-way market that allows customers to both purchase and sell precious metals within the same platform. This approach is designed to give you visibility into the liquidity side of ownership before you make a purchase, not just when you decide to sell. Having a clear picture of buyback pricing alongside acquisition cost is central to how we think about building a transparent and efficient marketplace.

Why Buy the Queen's Beast Unicorn 1/4 oz Gold Coin?

The Unicorn of Scotland release stands out within the Queen's Beast series for its striking reverse design and its place as one of the more iconic heraldic symbols in British royal history. The combination of a recognized issuing authority, high purity, and a coin tied to a well-documented collectible series distinguishes it from generic fractional gold options that carry no design narrative or series context.

For buyers who want fractional gold with both strong visual appeal and connection to a complete, finite series, this coin checks more boxes than a standard 1/4 oz sovereign. The Royal Mint's production quality is immediately apparent in hand, and the Brilliant Uncirculated grade ensures the design details are preserved at their best. Whether your priority is the metal content, the design, or the series as a whole, this coin supports all three considerations in a single purchase.

Why Buy from Bullion Standard?

We have been building our reputation in the precious metals space since 2010 with a focus on transparent pricing, authenticated product sourcing, and a buying and selling experience that treats customers as informed participants rather than transactional targets. Our A rating with the Better Business Bureau, membership in both the ANA and the NCBA, and authorized dealer status with PCGS and NGC reflect a long-term commitment to operating at a professional standard across every part of the business.

Our two-way market model means we are not simply a point of sale. We provide competitive buyback pricing alongside our purchase offering, so you can evaluate the full cost of ownership, including the spread between acquisition and liquidation, before committing to a purchase. That kind of pricing clarity is central to what we do. We also offer responsive customer support and reliable fulfillment designed to make each transaction straightforward from order to delivery.

Get Near-Spot Pricing with Bullion Standard Pro

Bullion Standard Pro gives members access to live, executable wholesale bid and ask pricing on products including fractional gold coins like this Queen's Beast Unicorn. Rather than working from indicative retail prices, Pro members transact at real-time wholesale market prices without additional dealer markups or fixed retail spreads applied on top. For a coin where the premium above spot is a meaningful part of the total cost, that pricing efficiency makes a tangible difference.

Pro members also benefit from real-time portfolio valuation based on current wholesale bid pricing, which gives a more realistic picture of where your holdings stand at any given moment. Combined with proprietary tools for evaluating premiums, bid/ask spreads, and historical market conditions across the broader catalog, Pro is designed to help you make more informed decisions about what to buy, when to buy, and how your holdings fit within current market dynamics.

Flexible and Secure Payment Options

We support a wide range of payment methods to make the purchasing process as straightforward as possible. Accepted options include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, bank-connected payments through Plaid, wire transfer, paper check, and cryptocurrency via BitPay. Each payment method is processed through a secure transaction environment designed to protect your information and confirm your order efficiently.

Whether you prefer a traditional payment method or a more modern option like cryptocurrency, we have structured our checkout to accommodate a broad range of preferences without introducing unnecessary complexity into the buying process. Security and convenience are built into every step of the transaction.

Reviews