How to Identify the Charles II Crown

Start with the obverse portrait. The Charles II crown shows a laureate, draped bust of the king facing right, encircled by a Latin legend that begins CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA. On damaged or corroded coins the fine detail of the face and hair may be gone, but the right-facing laureate head remains the primary identifying feature and should be the first thing you confirm.

Check the reverse layout. The type carries four crowned shields of arms set in a cross (cruciform), with pairs of interlinked C's in the angles between the shields and a star of the Order of the Garter at the center. Even when heavily corroded or pierced, the four-shield cruciform arrangement is distinctive and helps separate this crown from other English silver types.

Measure size and check the metal. A genuine crown is a large coin, roughly 38-40 mm across and about 29-30 grams in sterling silver. Because it is milled, it should be essentially round with a lettered edge, not the lumpy, uneven flan of a hammered coin. A much lighter weight, wrong diameter, or a plain edge on a coin sold as a Charles II crown are warning signs.

Read the edge and look for provenance marks. The edge normally bears the motto DECVS ET TVTAMEN with the regnal year spelled out, which helps date the coin and acts as an anti-forgery feature. A small mark below the bust, such as a rose, plume, or elephant (or elephant and castle), can indicate the silver source and aid attribution, though on a corroded coin these details may be unreadable.

Beware of look-alikes and fakes. Cruciform-shield crowns of James II, William and Mary, and later monarchs can resemble this type at a glance, so confirm the CAROLVS II legend and single right-facing bust rather than relying on the reverse alone. As a valuable large silver coin, the crown is frequently faked; casting bubbles, seams, soft mushy detail, incorrect weight or a non-silver ring all point to a reproduction, and significant purchases are best authenticated independently.