1 Crown - George III Pattern Gold (1817)
"Incorrupta crown"
Circulating version: 1817 1 Sovereign - George III Pattern
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1817 |
| Denomination | 1 Crown |
| Face value | 25p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 48.690g · 1.4350 t oz |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | William Wyon |
| Rev. artist | William Wyon |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Right facing laureate bust of King George III, legend around, date below.
Crowned royal shield of arms, legend around.
Gold Crown market value
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Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR-65 | £316,800.00 🔒 | £316,800.00 (1) | – | £316,800.00 – £316,800.00 | 0 | 1 | 13-05-2024 | |
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About the 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold
The 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold is a collector 1 crown coin, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 48.69g. Reverse design: Crowned royal shield of arms, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold worth?
The 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £316,800 in PR-65, the median of its verified sales. Its gold content is worth about £4,299 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Why is there a gold crown dated 1817?
It is a pattern, not a coin of the realm. William Wyon's Incorrupta crown design was struck in silver and also in gold. The crown of the recoinage was a silver denomination, and the issued crown of 1818 had Pistrucci's St George.
How heavy is the gold Incorrupta crown?
The example sold by Monnaies de Collection in 2024 weighed 48.69 g and measured 38 mm, much heavier than a silver crown because gold is denser. It was graded NGC PF 65 Ultra Cameo and described as the only graded example.
Who designed the Incorrupta crown?
William Wyon designed and signed it. He produced two pattern crowns in 1817, this one and the Three Graces. Neither was adopted, and the circulating crown that followed in 1818 was Benedetto Pistrucci's work.
How is the 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1817 1 Sovereign - George III Pattern, not the coin found in change. It is struck in 91.67% gold.
How do I identify the 1817 1 Crown - George III Pattern – Gold?
Check the weight 48.69g and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
In 1817 the Royal Mint was preparing a new silver crown as part of the recoinage, and William Wyon produced two pattern designs for it, the Three Graces and the Incorrupta, named from its reverse legend. Neither was adopted. The Royal Mint Museum records that the crown revived in 1818 combined Pistrucci's head of George III with his St George and the dragon.
As well as silver strikings, the Incorrupta design was struck in gold. The crown of the recoinage was a silver denomination, so a gold crown was never a coin of the realm; these pieces are patterns. One sold at Monnaies de Collection in Monaco in May 2024, catalogued as ESC 230, weighing 48.69 g and measuring 38 mm. No reliable figure for the number struck is published.
The design is the same as on the silver striking. The obverse is a laureate, draped bust of George III facing right with W. WYON below and the legend GEORGIUS III D:G: BRITANNIARUM REX. The reverse is a scalloped, crowned shield bearing the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland, with the crowned shield of Hanover at the centre, and the legend INCORRUPTA FIDES VERITASQUE.
Monnaies de Collection describes the 2024 piece as a proof with matt, grainy relief standing out against mirror fields, an effect produced by the stippling of the design and letters that Spink also notes on the silver.
Collecting notes
Gold Incorrupta crowns seldom appear on the market. Monnaies de Collection described its NGC PF 65 Ultra Cameo piece as the only graded example. Any piece offered should be checked against that example's weight and size and against the silver striking's design, with full provenance. The same catalogue notes tiny hairlines on the mirror fields, the usual condition issue on a gold proof.
The silver version is the silver Incorrupta pattern. Wyon's other pattern of the year is the Three Graces 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 III crown gold trial 'INCORRUPTA', by W. Wyon, proof 1817 (MDC Auction 14, 3 May 2024), Monnaies de Collection, Monaco (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Auction 15031, The Slaney Collection Part 2, lot 522: George III pattern crown, 1817, by William Wyon (silver), Spink (read 12 Oct 2026)
- William Wyon, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
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