1 Crown - George II Older bust (1743–1751)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1743–1751 |
| Denomination | 1 Crown |
| Face value | 25p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 30.100g · 0.8952 t oz |
| Diameter | 38.6mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Rev. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Older laureate and cuirassed bust of King George II left, legend around.
GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA
Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E
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AffiliateAbout the 1743 1 Crown - George II Older bust
The 1743 1 Crown - George II Older bust is a circulating 1 crown coin issued from 1743 to 1751, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 30.1g and measures 38.6mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1743 1 Crown - George II Older bust worth?
No verified sale of the 1743 1 Crown - George II Older bust has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £35.86 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
When was the last George II crown struck?
The last date is 1751. Tony Clayton writes that no crowns were then issued for 67 years, a gap caused in part by an acute shortage of silver, until the Pistrucci crown of 1818 that followed the Great Recoinage.
What does LIMA mean on a 1746 crown?
LIMA below the bust marks coins struck from captured Spanish American treasure. Tony Clayton, and Nottingham Museums' registers for LIMA shillings and half crowns, link the silver to Admiral Anson's voyage round the world. The 1746 crown is the only LIMA date for this denomination.
How many George II older bust crowns were made?
No mintage by date has been published. Only four dates exist, 1743, 1746, 1750 and 1751, plus a 1746 proof. The Royal Mint Museum says the crown played a limited role in circulation by 1751.
Is the 1746 crown part of a proof set?
Possibly. The Royal Mint Museum suggests the 1746 proof crown, half crown, shilling and sixpence may be the Mint's earliest proof set: they exist in similar numbers, seem to have been struck together, and one set survives in what looks like a contemporary velvet-lined case.
How do I identify the 1743 1 Crown - George II Older bust?
Check the weight 30.1g and diameter 38.6mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The older bust reached the crown in 1743, and Tony Clayton lists only four dates for it: 1743, 1746, 1750 and 1751, with a proof in 1746. No mintage has been published for any date. After 1751, Clayton writes, no crowns were issued for 67 years, during which wars with France and the United States left an acute shortage of silver.
The Royal Mint Museum explains the background: silver was worth more as bullion than as coin and flowed out of Europe, domestic supplies dried up after 1745, and the issues of 1750 and 1751 were made from silver obtained overseas. In its history of the crown, the Museum notes that by 1751 the coin's popularity had declined and it played a limited role in circulation.
The 1746 crown has LIMA below the bust. Clayton links the LIMA silver to treasure taken by Admiral Anson, as do Nottingham Museums' registers for LIMA shillings and half crowns.
The older laureate bust faces left, draped and in armour with a lion's head on the shoulder, and GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA around. The Royal Mint Museum credits the older head to John Sigismund Tanner, Chief Engraver from 1741.
The reverse has four crowned shields in a cross, England impaling Scotland, France, Ireland and the Electorate, with the Star of the Garter in the centre and M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E with the date. The 1743 crown has roses in the angles. The edge reads DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI with the regnal year in words, DECIMO NONO (the nineteenth) on 1746 coins.
Varieties and errors
The 1746 LIMA crown and the 1746 proof without LIMA are the main types. The Royal Mint Museum holds both, and records a lettered edge on each.
Collecting notes
Check below the bust for LIMA, the angles for roses, and the edge for complete lettering and a legible regnal year. Wear shows first on the hair, the lion's head and the shield crowns. Earlier crowns are covered by the young bust crown.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- John Sigismund Tanner, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Crowns and Quarter Guineas, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin values by year, George II (year pages 1743, 1746, 1750 and 1751, read one by one), Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Five Shillings, Quarter Guinea and Five and Six, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown coin of George II (1746, LIMA), Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II crown, 1746, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II proof crown, 1746, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown coin of George II (1746, LIMA, second example), Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
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