Crown Types

Queen Victoria Crown (QVC)

Crown type used from 1837-1901

What to look for: A Queen Victoria Crown is essentially the St Edward's Crown. The Victoria Crown is flatter on the top and also the lobes can be pinched at the outer edges as shown here. All the examples i have seen have more detail and less void in the lobes.

King’s Crown (KC)

Crown type used from 1902-1952 and again 2022-Present

What to look for: The King's Crown is easily identified by its steep arched shape.

 

 

Queen’s Crown (QC)

Crown type used from 1953-2021

What to look for: St Edward's Crown with Symmetrical curved lobes. In the examples I’ve examined there is more voided space in the lobes.

 

Coronet

What to look for: As you can see by these four examples there are many Coronet styles. As is so common in this field there is no hard and fast rule for identification.  Some are flat on top, and some have pinched lobes similar to the QVC.

 

 

These are by no means all the crown types or variants, but in this collection these were the most common types encountered.

Crown designs did not change everywhere at once when a new monarch came to the throne. Existing badges, buttons, and insignia could remain in use while replacement designs were introduced, creating periods of overlap. Dates associated with each crown type are therefore a useful guide rather than a firm cut-off. When identifying or dating an item, consider the crown alongside its other features, maker’s marks, and known history.