United Kingdom • 1 crown (5 shillings)

British Sterling Silver Crown — 1818–1902 Types

British sterling silver crowns in these ten inspected 1818–1902 types contain 0.8409 reference fine silver troy ounce, using the reference’s designated 28.2759 g / .925 standard. They have 27 specific issue years with substantial gaps, not continuous annual production. The genuine 1891 pair illustrates Victoria’s Jubilee portrait and St George reverse. Gothic, earlier royal and Edward VII crowns have different designs and finishes.

1891 Victoria Jubilee sterling crown obverse — small-crown and veil portrait facing left
Obverse — Genuine1891 KM765 Jubilee crown; illustrates this dated design only, not every variant or authentication result.
Петров Эдуард / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Genuine paired photograph split into whole obverse/reverse faces and converted to WebP without altered artwork or upscaling; CC0 retained · Image source · CC0 1.0
1891 Victoria Jubilee sterling crown reverse — StGeorge slaying the dragon with1891 below
Reverse — Genuine1891 KM765 Jubilee crown; illustrates this dated design only, not every variant or authentication result.
Петров Эдуард / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0; Genuine paired photograph split into whole obverse/reverse faces and converted to WebP without altered artwork or upscaling; CC0 retained · Image source · CC0 1.0

When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.

Verified coin specifications

Country
United Kingdom
Face denomination
1 crown (5 shillings)
Composition
92.5% silver; remaining alloy metals not independently verified
Gross weight (grams)
28.2759
Fineness
0.925
Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
0.8409
Edge
Varies by dated type
Mint
Not independently verified for each dated type
Restrikes
Patterns, other alloys and unresolved replicas excluded
Issue years
1818–1822, 1826, 1831, 1839, 1844–1845, 1847, 1853, 1887–1900, 1902

Twenty-seven specific annual years across ten ordinary/proof sterling types. Overdates and Roman edge years do not add issue years. Gothic only1847/1853, George IV1826 and William IV1831 proofs, young-head Victoria1839/1844/1845/1847, Jubilee1887–1892, mature draped1893–1900 and Edward VII1902 remain separate. Patterns, fantasy pieces and later .500 crowns excluded.

Source precision
The reference’s designated melt table gives 28.2759 g / .925/.8409 ASW. All ten inspected dated types give 28.2760 g / .9250/.8409 ASW; the small gross-weight precision difference is disclosed without changing the reference ounces. Gothic KM744 gives38 mm; Jubilee KM765, veiled-head KM783 and Edward VII KM803 give38.61 mm; earlier tables omit diameter. No shared numeric diameter, uniform edge, thickness or balance-metal formula is inferred.

Calculate this coin’s metal content

One coin contains 0.8409 troy oz of fine silver.

Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.

Obverse: identify the front

The genuine 1891 obverse, on the left in the source pair, shows Victoria facing left with a small crown, veil and jewellery. It matches the reference’s Jubilee KM765 description. George III faces right, George IV faces left, William IV faces right, and other Victorian types use young, Gothic or mature draped portraits. Edward VII faces right. Identify the portrait together with the complete opposite face; a royal head alone does not establish denomination, purity or date.

Reverse: identify the back

The photographed reverse shows St George on horseback slaying the dragon, with 1891 below. It represents KM765, not every included crown. Early George III crowns place this subject within their own legend; George IV also has a helmeted-arms proof design, William IV uses arms within a mantle, young-head Victoria uses crowned arms and Gothic crowns arrange separate crowned shields. Similar St George artwork also occurs on gold denominations and later crown alloys.

History and purpose

The included sequence crosses George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria and Edward VII. It includes isolated proof issues as well as multi-year types, so a broad 1818–1902 reference envelope does not establish a coin in every year. The 1847 young-head and Gothic designs overlap. The later Jubilee and veiled-head types form an annual 1887–1900 sequence. A separate 1902 Edward VII issue ends this inspected scope; later .500 crowns remain a different calculator.

How to identify this variant

Match both faces, the full issue date, portrait, reverse and edge with the correct dated type. Preserve overdates and Roman edge-year inscriptions rather than reducing them to an ordinary year. Source-supported diameters vary or are omitted, so this combined guide leaves the numeric diameter empty. Read each source before comparing a measured coin. An inscription, visual match or nominal mass does not authenticate a specimen or assay its alloy.

Understanding its metal content

One matching sterling crown contributes 0.8409 reference fine silver troy ounce. Three contribute 2.5227 fine silver ounces and 84.8277 nominal gross grams. Nominal fine-metal mass follows gross mass × .925; the controlling the reference supplies rounded fine ounces. A .500 crown at similar gross mass has substantially less silver. Count only matching compositions; worn, plated, altered or unresolved specimens need separate assessment.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

Specific source-supported family issue years: 1818–1822, 1826, 1831, 1839, 1844–1845, 1847, 1853, 1887–1900, 1902. The 27 annual dates preserve gaps and type-specific finishes.

KM675 — George III, 1818–1820

Specific rows include 1818, 1819 and 1820, Roman regnal-edge variants, 1819/8 and 1820/19 overdates and a separately noted 1819 plain-edge entry. Overdates do not create additional issue years.

KM680.1/KM680.2 — George IV, 1821–1822

SECUNDO and TERTIO distinguish the recorded edge types. Both have proof entries; actual edge and finish attribution must accompany the issue date.

KM699 — George IV, 1826

The inspected annual row is 1826 Proof with SEPTIMO on the edge. It has helmeted arms rather than the photographed St George reverse.

KM715 — William IV, 1831

The specific annual row is 1831 Proof. Arms within a crowned mantle distinguish its reverse.

KM741 — Victoria young head

Specific dates are 1839, 1844, 1845 and 1847. The 1839 row is proof; 1844/1845 include separate proof entries. The broad span does not imply 1840–1843 or 1846 issues.

KM744 — Gothic Victoria

Only 1847 and 1853 occur. Proof/impaired-proof and plain/lettered edge entries remain separate. The source gives 38 mm, not the later 38.61 mm diameter.

KM765 — Victoria Jubilee, 1887–1892

All six annual dates are listed, with 1887 Proof separately labelled. The genuine 1891 photograph illustrates this small-crown-and-veil type only.

KM783 — mature draped Victoria, 1893–1900

All eight issue years are listed. Roman regnal-year inscriptions produce multiple entries within a year; 1893 also has a proof. The recorded edge legend is DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI.

KM803 — Edward VII, 1902

The 1902 annual rows include regular and matte-proof descriptions, including one duplicated proof label in the reference. The repeated label does not imply a new year or a separately authenticated finish.

Melt value versus collector value

Retain the date, portrait, reverse, edge and any proof attribution with each coin. The 1826 and 1831 inspected entries are proofs; Gothic entries include proof and impaired-proof descriptions, and 1902 includes matte proof. These labels cannot be established merely from a shiny photograph. Overdates, edge legends, condition and genuine finish may affect collector interest independently of metal content. Preserve surfaces and collection labels; do not clean a coin for comparison.

Authenticity and condition

Provide complete photographs of both faces and the edge, including the full issue date and Roman inscriptions where present. Add actual measured mass and diameter when available. The licensed 1891 reference photograph illustrates a genuine design; it does not authenticate, grade, assay or establish the finish of a different specimen. Keep patterns, medals, fantasy pieces, replicas and unresolved alloys separate.

Selling this coin

Sort these .925 crowns separately from the later .500 family, other denominations and uncertain pieces. Keep each coin’s date, edge, portrait and proof information with its photographs. The existing photo-appraisal link preserves the selected quantity for an enquiry; the reference silver amount is not a purchase offer. Live dollar pricing remains unavailable until an approved provider supplies it.

Sources and calculation methodology

The reference’s designated melt table gives 28.2759 g / .925 / .8409 ASW. All ten inspected dated types give 28.2760 g / .9250 / .8409 ASW; the small gross-weight precision difference is disclosed without changing the reference ounces. Gothic KM744 gives 38 mm; Jubilee KM765, veiled-head KM783 and Edward VII KM803 give 38.61 mm; earlier tables omit diameter. No shared numeric diameter, uniform edge, thickness or balance-metal formula is inferred. Ten actual the reference annual tables and independent photographic permission were inspected on 2026-10-11. Only specific rows establish issue years; broad spans and X-number/pattern listings do not fill gaps. The source pair is split into whole-face WebP images without upscaling or invented artwork, retaining CC0 permission and visible attribution. Photographic metadata is not used to override the reference specifications. No prices, mintages or source articles are reproduced.

Common questions

Were sterling crowns issued every year from 1818 to 1902?No. The ten inspected ordinary/proof types establish 27 specific years. The card and detail list those years and retain the substantial gaps; pattern and fantasy listings are excluded.
Does the 1891 photograph represent a Gothic crown?No. It represents Victoria’s Jubilee portrait KM765. Gothic KM744 has a different crowned portrait and crowned-shield reverse, with 1847 and 1853 proof-related entries.
How much reference silver is in three matching sterling crowns?Three matching coins contain 2.5227 reference fine silver troy ounces and 84.8277 nominal gross grams. This does not price collector interest, establish authenticity or represent a purchase offer.

References

Issue-year references

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

1935 KM842 Jubilee crown design obverse — royal portrait and surrounding legend

British Silver Crown — .500 Dated Types

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United Kingdom • 50% silver; remaining alloy metals not independently verified

Issue years: 1927–1937

Fine silver: 0.454500 troy oz

British Silver Shilling — 1816–1919 obverse: Victoria crowned and veiled facing left

British Silver Shilling — 1816–1919

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United Kingdom • 92.500% silver; balance copper

Issue years: 1816–1821, 1823–1827, 1829, 1831, 1834–1846, 1848–1919

Fine silver: 0.168200 troy oz

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