Crown Coin Values UK: Every British Crown from 1551 to 2026

Q: Are silver crowns worth more for the silver content?

Pre-1920 silver crowns are 0.925 sterling silver (28.276g total, 26.16g pure silver). At today's silver price (~£55/oz), bullion content is £46–£48 per coin. From 1920 to 1947 silver crowns were 0.500 fineness (debased, £25-ish bullion content). 1947-onwards crowns are cupronickel with no silver content. For most pre-1920 crowns the numismatic premium far exceeds the bullion floor; for very worn examples bullion is sometimes the realistic floor.

The crown is Britain's historic five-shilling silver coin, first issued in 1551 under Edward VI and issued in some form ever since. Pre-1920 silver crowns from major reigns are tradeable at £25–£500; 19th-century pattern crowns and one-year designs (Gothic, INCORRUPTA, Una and the Lion) command five and six figures. Modern cupronickel commemoratives from 1965 onwards are nearly all face-value common despite being widely kept as memorabilia.

Last updated: 6 June 2026

In brief. A British crown is a 28.276 g coin denominated at five shillings (or, since 1990, £5). Pre-1920 crowns are 0.925 sterling silver; 1920–46 are 0.500 silver; 1947 onwards are cupronickel. Modern commemorative crowns (1965 Churchill, 1977 Silver Jubilee, 1981 Royal Wedding) were minted in tens of millions and are still face-value common. Pre-1816 silver crowns and 19th-century patterns / proofs are where the real value sits, with the 1839 Una and the Lion and 1817 INCORRUPTA pattern realising six figures at auction.

Crown specifications

The crown is one of the most physically consistent British coins. From the Great Recoinage of 1816 onwards, specifications barely changed:

Era	Total weight	Composition	Diameter	Edge
Pre-1816	~30.0 g	0.925 sterling silver	~38.5 mm	plain or lettered
1816–1919	28.276 g	0.925 sterling silver (26.16 g pure)	38.61 mm	milled / lettered DECVS ET TVTAMEN
1920–1946	28.276 g	0.500 silver (14.14 g pure)	38.61 mm	milled / lettered
1947–1981	28.276 g	cupronickel	38.61 mm	milled or plain
1990–present (£5)	28.276 g	cupronickel (silver/gold proof variants)	38.61 mm	milled or design-specific

The 1816 recoinage standardised the crown at exactly 28.276 g and 38.61 mm, and that hasn't changed since. Even modern £5 commemorative crowns share the form factor — you can stack a 2026 cupronickel commemorative on a 1816 silver crown and they line up exactly.

Silver content and bullion floor

For pre-1920 silver crowns the bullion content is real money. Calculation:

Pre-1816 standard (sterling, ~30 g coin weight): ~27.7 g pure silver = 0.892 troy oz = ~£49 at £55/oz spot.
1816–1919 standard (sterling, 28.276 g coin): 26.16 g pure silver = 0.841 troy oz = ~£46 at £55/oz spot.
1920–1946 (debased to 0.500 silver): 14.14 g pure silver = 0.455 troy oz = ~£25 at spot.
1947 onwards cupronickel: no silver content. Bullion floor is essentially zero.

For most pre-1920 crowns the numismatic premium far exceeds bullion. But for very worn or damaged pre-1920 specimens, bullion is the floor and dealers price them as scrap silver. Use a calliper plus a known-spec reference to confirm fineness before assuming bullion-worthlessness.

Crowns by reign: a survey

Edward VI to Elizabeth I (1551–1601)

The original crown of Edward VI was issued briefly in 1551 (mintage tiny, fewer than 5,000 known to survive). Mary Tudor and Philip & Mary issued limited crowns, then production stabilised under Elizabeth I. All Tudor crowns are museum-grade rarities with realised auction prices typically £5,000–£50,000 depending on date, monarch and condition. Beware cast counterfeits, which are common.

The Stuart Crowns (Charles I, Cromwell, Charles II)

Charles I crowns include several iconic types from the Civil War period: the Tower mint issues, the Truro / Exeter provincial crowns, and the famous Oxford crown. Realised prices range from £500 (worn Tower issues) to £50,000+ (high-grade Oxford crowns or rare provincial mintmarks).

Oliver Cromwell's 1658 crown (the "Sons of Iniquity" pattern) is one of the most celebrated British crowns: a high-relief portrait piece struck during the Protectorate. Mintage was very small; high-grade specimens realise £30,000–£100,000+ at auction.

The Hanoverian Crowns (1714–1837)

George I crowns are scarce; George II rarer still (no business-strike crowns 1751–1818). George III was the major Hanoverian for crowns:

1804 Bank of England Dollar: a Spanish-American 8-real coin overstruck with George III, used as a 5-shilling token coin. Fascinating piece. EF specimens realise £500–£1,500.
1817 INCORRUPTA Pattern Crown: the gold and silver trial pieces designed by William Wyon. Six-figure realisations.
1818, 1819, 1820 St George Crowns: Pistrucci's St George reverse first appeared on these crowns. EF realises £100–£300; UNC £500–£1,200; PR-65 £3,000+.

The Victorian Crowns (1837–1901)

The most-collected era for crowns, divided by Victoria's three portrait types:

Young Head Crowns (1839–1847): the headline issues. The 1839 proof crown (mintage ~400) realises £15,000–£40,000. The 1847 Gothic Crown (Wyon's masterpiece, mintage ~8,000) realises £15,000–£25,000 for plain-edge varieties.
Jubilee Head Crowns (1887–1892): Boehm's portrait, with the St George reverse. Common in EF at £75–£150; key dates 1888 and 1892 in PR are £500–£2,000.
Old Head Crowns (1893–1900): Brock's veiled-bust portrait. Issued every year except 1899; common dates £75–£200 EF, £500–£1,500 in PR.

20th-Century Crowns (1902–1981)

1902 Edward VII: matte-proof Coronation issue, mintage 15,123. PR-65 realises £800–£2,500.
1927–1936 George V "Wreath" Crowns: the most-collected 20th-century crown. 1927 Wreath proof had a mintage of just 15,030; 1934 just 932 specimens (the rarest Wreath). Common dates £100–£300 EF; 1934 in any grade £1,200–£5,000.
1937 George VI Coronation Crown: mintage 418,699. Common at £15–£50; the 1937 proof variant (mintage ~26,000) realises £100–£300.
1951 Festival of Britain Crown: mintage 1,983,540. Common at £5–£15.
1953 Coronation Crown: Mary Gillick obverse. Mintage 5,962,621. £5–£12.
1965 Churchill Crown: the famous one. Mintage 19,640,000. Worth £1–£5.
1972 Silver Wedding, 1977 Silver Jubilee, 1980 Queen Mother, 1981 Charles & Diana: all issued in millions. £1–£5 each in cupronickel.

Modern £5 Crowns (1990–present)

From 1990 the crown was redenominated as £5 face value while keeping the same form factor. Issues are commemorative-only (Royal events, anniversaries, monarchical milestones). The cupronickel business strikes nearly all trade at £5–£15 (slightly above face value). Silver proof and gold proof variants in their original Royal Mint cases command real numismatic premiums:

1990 Queen Mother 90th £5 silver proof: £55–£90.
1996 Queen 70th Birthday £5 silver proof: £40–£75.
2002 Golden Jubilee £5 silver proof: £55–£90.
2012 Diamond Jubilee £5 silver proof: £65–£95.
2022 Platinum Jubilee £5 silver proof: £70–£110.
Charles III coronation £5 silver proof: £75–£120.

Pattern crowns and one-year designs

A pattern is a trial striking from the Royal Mint, made to evaluate a proposed design before formal issue. Most patterns were rejected or modified before the production run, so survivors are rare-by-construction. The famous British pattern crowns:

1817 INCORRUPTA Pattern Crown (George III): William Wyon's trial design. Gold trial: £500,000+. Silver pattern: £100,000+.
1831 William IV Pattern Crown: realised £320,000 at Onebid 2024 in burnished-blank gold-coinage trial form.
1837 Bonomi Pattern Crown: Joseph Bonomi's design with Britannia reverse, trial in white metal. £15,000+.
1847 "Gothic" Crown (Victoria): Wyon's production-issue design but with a mintage so small (~8,000 plain edge) it functions as a pattern. £15,000–£40,000+.
1953 "VIP" Coronation Pattern Crown: private-issue Royal Mint pattern given to dignitaries. £500–£1,500.

Authentication and grading

Counterfeit crowns are common, particularly cast copies of Tudor, Stuart and Cromwell pieces. For any crown worth more than £500, send to a third-party grading service:

CGS UK — British, lower fees, faster domestic turnaround.
NGC — American, second-largest globally, strong UK coverage.
PCGS — American, the largest global grading service.

Five home-authentication tests for a crown:

Weight: 28.276 g ± 0.05 g for any post-1816 crown. Cast counterfeits typically run 0.1–0.5 g light.
Diameter: 38.61 mm. Counterfeits cast in moulds shrink ~0.2–0.4 mm.
Edge: milled / lettered should be sharp and continuous; cast counterfeits show seam lines.
Magnet: silver and cupronickel are non-magnetic. Steel-cored fakes pull instantly.
Sound: a real silver crown rings when bounced on a fingertip; cast white-metal fakes thud.

Featured crowns on MyCoinage

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Quartered Arms; Silver Proof

2021

up to £925

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Portrait; Silver Proof

2021

up to £593

5 Pounds - Charles III William IV Crown; Silver Proof

2026

up to £490

1 Pound - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Nations of the Crown

2016

up to £60

1 Pound - Elizabeth II Nations of the Crown; Silver Piedfort

2017

up to £53

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Crown Jewels

2019

up to £13

10 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Crowned Lion

1998

up to £6

5 Pounds - Charles III Petition Crown, Portrait; Silver Proof

2023

5 Pounds - Charles III Petition Crown, Shields; Silver Proof

2023

5 Shillings - Crown Award

5 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Crowned Thistle

1998

5 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Crowned Thistle Silver Proof

2000

Browse every crown in the catalogue →

Buying crowns on eBay

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The crown is the prestige denomination of British numismatics. Headline rarities like the 1839 Una and the Lion (£100,000+) and 1935 Rocking Horse silver proof (£3,000+) sit at one end; modern Elizabeth II commemorative crowns (1953-1981) trade for £5-30 and are the most-collected entry point. The 1965 Churchill crown sold over 19 million pieces and is the easiest first crown to acquire (£2-10).

1953 Coronation crown ↗ 1965 Churchill crown ↗ 1981 Charles & Diana crown ↗ 1935 Rocking Horse crown (sold) ↗ Victoria Gothic crown (sold) ↗ George IV crown ↗ William IV crown ↗ Silver proof crowns ↗ Slabbed crowns (sold) ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is a British crown coin?

The crown is a large British silver coin first issued in 1551 under Edward VI, denominated at five shillings (one quarter of a pound sterling). It became Britain's largest circulating silver coin and the canvas for some of the finest engraving work the Royal Mint ever produced. Standard specifications from the 1816 recoinage onwards: 28.276 g of 0.925 sterling silver (post-1947: cupronickel for circulation), 38.61 mm diameter, plain or lettered edge. Crowns ceased to circulate in 1981 but commemorative crowns continue to be issued at £5 face value.

How much is a crown coin worth?

It depends entirely on era and condition. Modern cupronickel commemorative crowns (1953, 1965, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1981) trade at £1–£5 in any grade. Pre-decimalisation silver crowns from 1816–1937 trade at £25–£500 depending on year and condition. Pre-1816 silver crowns (Charles II to George III) start around £100 and rise sharply with grade and date rarity. The famous patterns and proofs (1839 Una and the Lion, 1847 Gothic, 1937 George VI proof) regularly realise five and six figures.

Are 1965 Churchill crowns valuable?

No, although they were widely kept as memorabilia. The Churchill crown was struck in cupronickel in a mintage of 19,640,000 — one of the highest crown mintages ever. They were never silver and are still face-value common. A circulated example trades at £1–£3; a sealed Royal Mint specimen pack £5–£10. Don't expect grandparents' Churchill crowns to fund retirement.

Which is the most valuable British crown?

The 1839 "Una and the Lion" pattern five pounds (technically a five-sovereign piece, sometimes catalogued with crowns) is the most celebrated, regularly realising £500,000+ in PR-65. Among true crowns: the 1817 George III "INCORRUPTA" pattern crown realised £639,840 at Onebid in 2024 in gold trial form. The 1847 Victoria "Gothic" Crown in PR-62+ realises £15,000–£40,000. Oliver Cromwell's 1658 "Sons of Iniquity" pattern crown in top grade has reached six figures.

What does the lettered edge on a crown say?

Different inscriptions for different reigns. Common edges: 1818–1822 George III "DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI" (an ornament and a safeguard, the year of the reign) followed by Latin numerals; Victoria "Gothic" Crown reads "DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI XI" (year 11 of her reign); George IV crowns "DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI" with the regnal year. The phrase translates as "an ornament and a safeguard" and originally referred to milled-edge engraving as an anti-clipping security feature.

Was the crown ever a five-pound coin?

In modern usage, yes — from 1990 onwards the Royal Mint redesignated the crown as a £5 commemorative piece while keeping the same physical specifications (28.276 g cupronickel, 38.61 mm diameter). So a "1990 Queen Mother £5" and the older "5 shilling crown" share the same form factor and metal. Pre-1990 crowns were always denominated as 5 shillings (or in pre-decimal years just as "Crown" / "Five Shillings"). The redenomination was administrative, not numismatic.

Are silver crowns worth more for the silver content?

Pre-1920 silver crowns are 0.925 sterling silver (28.276g total, 26.16g pure silver). At today's silver price (~£55/oz), bullion content is £46–£48 per coin. From 1920 to 1947 silver crowns were 0.500 fineness (debased, £25-ish bullion content). 1947-onwards crowns are cupronickel with no silver content. For most pre-1920 crowns the numismatic premium far exceeds the bullion floor; for very worn examples bullion is sometimes the realistic floor.

Should I clean a silver crown?

No. Original toning is part of a silver coin's grade and value. A careful warm-water-and-mild-soap rinse is acceptable to remove loose dirt; nothing more. Silver-dipping, polishing, or rubbing destroys the surface, leaves microscratches visible under magnification, and earns a "Cleaned" details grade from PCGS or NGC — which can halve the realisable price.

How do I authenticate a high-value crown?

Send to CGS UK, PCGS or NGC. Fees are typically £25–£50 depending on declared value. For a coin worth more than £500, slabbing is essentially mandatory because counterfeit crowns (particularly cast copies of Cromwell, Edward VI and George III crowns) are common. The slab adds 10–25% to realised auction prices.

What's the difference between a "Gothic Crown" and a regular Victoria Crown?

The Gothic Crown is a specific pattern issued 1847 (one-year design) featuring Queen Victoria in Gothic-script medieval garb on the obverse, designed by William Wyon. Mintage was small (around 8,000 plain-edge plus a tiny number of "VIII" reeded edge). Regular Victorian crowns (Young Head 1847–1887, Jubilee Head 1887–1892, Old Head 1893–1900) are quite different designs at much higher mintages. A real Gothic Crown in PR-62 realises £15,000–£25,000; a normal Victoria crown in EF realises £100–£300. Don't confuse the two.

Are commemorative crowns from the 1970s and 1980s worth anything?

Almost always face value. The 1972 silver wedding crown (mintage 7,452,100), 1977 Silver Jubilee crown (mintage 36.9 million plus 377,000 silver proofs), 1980 Queen Mother 80th birthday (9.3 million), and 1981 Charles & Diana wedding crown (26.8 million) were all issued in massive numbers and were heavily kept by the public. Standard cupronickel issues realise £1–£5; only the silver-proof variants in original Royal Mint cases command a meaningful premium of £30–£80.