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SunandAnchor - Silver Crowns

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Quick Finder - major die design variants, read also about N over inverted N

Crown Display Full1

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Crowns

 

 

 

 

One ounce silver ( approx 30 gms ), approx 42 mm in diameter, value V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Year

Description / Photograph Links

Mintmark

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-5

1649

Obverse (1) with inverted N in England

sun

 

CR-10

 

Standard, with different obverse (2) and reverse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-15

1651

New reverse and obverse (3) design

sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-20

1652

Large 652 over small 652 in the date, small circular beading on reverse

sun

 

CR-25

 

Large 2 in the date, very coarse beading on reverse

 

 

CR-30

 

Small 2, narrow date, coarse beading

 

 

CR-35

 

Medium 2, wide date, coarse beading on reverse

 

 

CR-40

 

Medium 2, narrow date, coarse beading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-45

1653

Shallow scallops to reverse shields, various dies

sun

 

CR-50

 

Deep scallops to reverse shields, various dies

 

 

CR-55

 

Upside down A over V in VS on reverse, deep scallops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-60

1654

New reverse and obverse (4) design, fine cross hatch

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CR-65

1656

6 over 3 in date, old 1651 style obverse (3), see CR-55

sun

 

CR-70

 

6 over 4 in date, 9 strings to the harp, 54 obverse (4)

 

 

CR-75

 

6 over 4 in date, 10 strings to the harp, 54 obverse (4)

 

 

CR-80

 

6 over 4 in date, 9 strings to harp, new obverse (5)

 

 

CR-85

 

6 over 4 in date, 10 strings to the harp, new obverse (5)

 

 

CR-90

 

Large 6 over small 6 over 4, 9 strings to harp, new obverse (5)

 

 

CR-95

 

Large 6 no overdate, 9 strings to harp, new obverse (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-100

1658

Cromwell Crown, 1658/7 in date

none

 

CR-101

 

Cromwell Crown, Dutch Copy

 

 

CR-102

 

Cromwell Crown, Tanner Copy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CR-105

1660

Anchor fantasy piece dated 1660 but based on a 1652 crown

anchor

 

 

 

 

 

 

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N over Inverted N does not appear to exist ....

This phenomenon, we read occured on crowns dated 1651 thru’ 1653. Before in 1649 two different obverses are in use - one with a conventional letter N and another obverse with an inverted letter N.

Examples of crowns dated 1651 thru to 1653 are shown and none of these examples even hints that the second N in ENGLAND has been punched twice with a reorientation of a punch. So the idea that these crowns have a letter N over an inverted letter N seems a little odd. The precision on placement probably exceeds that which was possible in the 1650’s with manual techniques.

As a double check closeups were also taken of the 1654 crown and that looks as solid as the 1653 crown, letter N, although the font is different.

Below are closeups of the 1653 crown and the 1649 crown with the letter N inverted. This gives some idea of just how difficult it would have been to use the inverted N punch twice and not show any double imaging or lack of registration.

Looking for a match to the 1649 punch the closest appears to be the centre image of the 1652 date.

So does the N over inverted N exist? Probably not and if it did it would be highly exceptional and not as widespread as the suggested spread over 3 years.

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SHIELDS
N_over_Inv_N2
Crown_Dies_1603

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Feature Dimensions

Size Cr
Size_crown_obv1

Feature Dimensions - Size of “V” in Value, 4.2mm to 5.0 mm

Crown_Sizing_Vs

One characteristic which may give us a clue as to who made what is the size of the letter V in the value. As can be seen this varied across the range of crowns. The most common size is 4.8mm seen on the 1649 crowns. The 1651 crowns had a smaller V which is also seen on three die variants of the 1652 crown. In the same year dies with larger V’s were made suggesting that perhaps three parties were making the 1652 reverse dies. After that for 1653 thru to 1656 over 4, the 4.8mm V was preferred. Two late 1656 dies with large sixes  have 4.5mm V’s which may suggest these two reverse dies were made by a newcomer to Tower mint.

SHIELDS
Logo_Letters

 


 

A second trial was to be made in 1656 with a totally new design featuring the bust of Oliver Cromwell himself. Three denominations were chosen for the trial - the gold fifty shilling, the gold Broad of 20 shillings and the silver halfcrown which was probably the control for comparison to previous work. All went well but it was decided that the halfcrown dies needed to be more deeply engraved. Notice again another lost opportunity to run the larger silver crown.