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The British Crown coin, the successor to the English Crown and the Scottish Dollar, came into being with the Union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707. As with the English coin, its value was five shillings, or sixty pence - one shilling being twelve pence. Always a heavy silver coin weighing about one ounce, during the 19th and 20th centuries the Crown declined from being a real means of exchange to being a coin rarely spent and minted for commemorative purposes only. In that format it has continued to be minted, even following decimalisation of the British currency in 1971 (although the decimal Crown is now denominated as £5). The legal tender value of the pre-decimal Crown remained as five shillings from 1544 to 1965. However, for most of this period there was no denominational designation or "face value" mark displayed on the coin - people were supposed to recognise it by size and weight. From 1927 to 1939, the word "CROWN" appears in the design, and from 1951 to 1960 this was changed to "FIVE SHILLINGS". The coins were silver until 1937, when the denomination was debased to copper-nickel. After decimalisation in 1971, the face value kept its five shillings equivalent at 25 new pence, later simply 25 pence, although the face value is not shown on any of these issues. Even though they have been withdrawn from circulation, pieces struck prior to 1990 - all the way back to 1818 - continue to be legal tender for that amount (i.e. they have not been formally demonetised). | ||||
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Country | United Kingdom |
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Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Sub-types |
Crown (St George) Crown, St George within Garter Crown (Shield) Gothic Crown Crown (Wreath) Crown (St George, Modern) Crown (Shield, 0.500 silver) Crown (St George, CuproNickel) Crown (Shields, CuproNickel) Crown (Churchill) |
From | 1801 |
To | 1965 |
Face Value | 5 (x Shilling) |
Current | No; withdrawn 1971 |
Material | Silver to 1937, then CuproNickel |
Designer | |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Size | 39.0000 mm |
Mass | 28.2760 g |
Buy Silver Bullion Online |
Image | Details |
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Coin - Crown, George III, Great Britain, 1818
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: St George within Garter (1818 - 1820). Source |
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Coin - Crown, George IV, Great Britain, 1822
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: St George reverse (1821 - 1822, then 1887 - 1902, then 1951). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1839
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Coin - Crown (Gothic), Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1847
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Gothic reverse (1847, 1853). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, George V, Great Britain, 1927
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Wreath reverse (1927 - 1936). Source |
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Coin - Crown, Silver Jubilee George V, Great Britain, 1935
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Modern ("Rocking horse") St George (1935). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, George VI, Great Britain, 1937
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Shield reverse (1937). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1953
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Shields reverse (1953, 1960). Source |
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Coin - Crown, Churchill Commemorative, Queen Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1965
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Churchill (1965). Source |
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Coin - Crown, George III, Great Britain, 1818
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: King George III (1818 - 1820). Source |
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Coin - Crown, George IV, Great Britain, 1822
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: King George IV, portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci (1821 - 1822). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1839
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Queen Victoria, Young head (1839 - 1847). Source |
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Coin - Crown (Gothic), Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1847
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Queen Victoria, Gothic portrait (1847, 1853). Source |
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Coin - Crown, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1887
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Queen Victoria, Jubilee head (1887 - 1892). Source |
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Coin - Crown, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1897
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Queen Victoria, Veiled head (1893 - 1900). Source |
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Coin - Crown, Edward VII, Great Britain, 1902
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: King Edward VII (1902). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, George V, Great Britain, 1927
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: King George V (1927 - 1936). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, George VI, Great Britain, 1937
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: King George VI (1937, 1951). Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1953
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Proof Coin - Crown, Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1960
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |