The English Crown was a large silver coin with a value of five shillings (at twelve pence per shilling, equal to 60 pence, or one quarter of a pound - the pound being twenty shillings).
Originally known as the "crown of the double rose", the denomination was introduced as part of King Henry VIII's monetary reform of 1526, and was initially made of gold. The first silver crowns were produced in 1551 during the brief reign of King Edward VI. However, some crowns continued to be minted in gold until 1662.
The silver crown was one of a number of European silver coins which first appeared in the 16th century, all of which were of a similar diameter (about 38 millimetres) and weight (approximately one ounce), so were more or less interchangeable in international trade. English silver crowns were minted in all reigns from that of Elizabeth I. The Charles II Petition Crown, engraved by Thomas Simon, is exceptionally rare.
The composition of the silver crowns was the sterling silver standard of 92.5 per cent silver and 7.5 per cent copper, established in the 12th century by Henry II. This was harder-wearing than fine silver, yet still a high grade. The hardness discouraged the practice of "clipping", and this practice was further discouraged (and largely eliminated) with the introduction of the milled edge. With the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, the English crown was superseded by the British crown.
Apart from the regular circulating coins, the Royal Mint from time to time also produced patterns and trial pieces which were not released into circulation. | 
