Charles II Silver Crowns

This past year I finally treated myself to a couple of these whopper silver crowns. I don’t collect them and I really don’t know much about them. I love their heft and weight - one big hunk of silver! These two depict my favorite British monarch - and I love the edge inscriptions. There is a personal story that accompanies the first coin that I may post here one of these days - if I can recollect it correctly, that is.

Charles II 1662 silver Crown


CAROLVS · II·DEI·GRA …………………… MAG·BR·FRA·ET·HIB·REX·1662·
(Rose below draped bust)
first and third reverse shields have English and French arms quartered

Edge Inscription: * + * DECVS ET TVTAMEN
(An Ornament and a Safeguard)

Diameter: 40mm (first issue large flan)
Weight: 29.57gm

Charles II 1671 silver Crown


CAROLVS·II · DEI·GRATIA ……………… MAG·BR·FRA·ET·HIB·REX·16(71)·

Edge Inscription: · DECVS · ET · TVTAMEN · ANNO · REGNI · VICESIMO · TERTIO
(An Ornament and a Safeguard - and year of minting)

Diameter: 38mm
Weight: 29.58gm

 

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Very nice. Just watched Henry V last night.

 

Nice, I need a crown of his.

I just have a half crown.

 

Nice ones. I don't have any of his crowns, my earliest is William III,

 

.......... and a nice one at that Mat! Thanks for posting that pic.

 

Although I don’t collect them as a specialty, Martin, I would like to have a William III.

 

Just one would suit you well, M’Lord - more than one would be a heavy burden

 

Did you fondle one of his coins while you watched? - I do that kind of thing - much to the amusement of my wife, Beverly

 

Thank you. You have a great sense of history M’Lord. I am seeking such a Crown for the very reasons you cite - a great historical association!

 

Sorry to say, I don't have any. Just George and Elizabeth.

 

The first issue crowns - like this one - bear a Rose stamped underneath the bust of Charles II - this signifies native silver from the west of Britain (Wales?) was used to produce them. I used to wonder if that somehow was tied in with the origin of the Pub name for the Rose & Crown near my home - it was the “local” for my father and uncles (served as the unofficial headquarters for their Home Guard Company during WW2). But, that wasn’t the case (slim hope anyway) - the Directory of British Pub names lists Rose & Crown as a Lancastrian name associated with the War of the Roses. Too bad - here is our Rose & Crown:

 

A warning for motorists to slow down due to the side road intersections - a bus stop - and, of course, the proximity of the Pub (although I don’t think the city engineers had that in mind necessarily!). I am sure they were helpful to my Uncle George in checking his bearings when he exited the Rose and Crown after “time, gentlemen, please” - he was a prodigious beer drinker!