Crown is a British coin worth 25 pence, or one-fourth of a pound sterling. Although they were once widely used, crowns are now coined only for special occasions, such as the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. They are rarely seen in circulation. On one side, the crown bears a likeness of the king or queen who was reigning when the coin was minted. A coat of arms or other symbolic design is imprinted on the other. The crown was first issued in gold in the 1500’s during the reign of Henry VIII. The crown, as it is known today, dates from 1551. Early crowns were made of fine silver, called crown silver. Since 1951, crowns have been struck in copper-nickel alloy.
