Reddite Crown 1663, Coin from England - detailed information

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.

The Reddite Crown is a pattern struck from the dies of the Petition Crown - a pattern coin produced in 1663 by Thomas Simon, a celebrated English medallist and coin designer. The coin was submitted directly by the artist to King Charles II as a personal "petition" against the contemporary coins designed by the Flemish brothers John and Joseph Roettiers, and for the further Royal consideration that only Simon's designs be used for all future specie now that machine-made currency had been adopted universally for the production of British coinage.

The Petition Crown had a two-line inscription around the edge:
THOMAS SIMON MOST HVMBLY PRAYS YOVR MAJESTY TO COMPARE THIS HIS TRYALL PIECE WITH THE DVTCH AND IF MORE TRVLY DRAWN & EMBOSS'D MORE GRACE; FVLLY ORDER'D AND MORE ACCURATELY ENGRAVEN TO RELEIVE HIM [sic].

Instead of that, the edge inscription of the Reddite Crown reads REDDITE QVÆ CÆSARIS CÆSARI &CT (render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's etc.), referencing Christ's words noted in the Gospels on the relationship between religion and secular authority. This is followed by the word POST and an image of the sun emerging from behind clouds. This abbreviates the Latin phrase POST NUBILA PHOEBUS meaning the sun shines after the storm, a reference to the restoration of Charles II bringing new hope after the difficulties of the Civil War and the Commonwealth.