The absence of a crown on the coinage of King Charles III has sparked debate, with some speculating that it symbolizes a lack of monarchy or undermines his status as king. However, this notion is far from accurate. In fact, it’s quite common for male monarchs to appear without a crown on their coins, a practice observed with previous British monarchs, including Charles’ father and grandfather.
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at the Royal Mint, addressed this point in 2022 when she clarified that the depiction of male monarchs without crowns is a long-standing tradition. She noted that Charles’ father, Prince Philip, and grandfather, George VI, were also shown without crowns on their coins. Despite this, coronation medals often depicted monarchs with their crowns, such as the 1902 coronation medals of King Edward VII and his wife, Queen Alexandra. Similarly, George V and Queen Mary wore crowns on their 1935 silver jubilee medal but not on George V’s coinage. Even though King George VI and Queen Elizabeth wore crowns on the 1939 Canadian coronation medal, George VI appeared without a crown on his circulating British coins.
The tradition of depicting monarchs without crowns extends beyond just Charles and his predecessors. Coins from ancient history, such as those of Alexander the Great and his father, Philip II, show them without crowns, with Philip wearing a laurel wreath. Julius Caesar, too, appeared without a crown on coins struck during his lifetime.
In contrast, many Roman emperors wore crowns or laurel wreaths, with these often symbolizing the coin’s denomination. Byzantine emperors, on the other hand, were always shown crowned on their coins, a tradition that continued with early Islamic coins. Medieval European coinage also typically depicted monarchs with crowns, although English coins often featured laurel wreaths starting with George IV. King William IV’s coinage depicted a windblown portrait, while Queen Victoria’s coins evolved from crownless to crowned images.
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Interestingly, the coinage of the early United States followed suit, with many of George Washington’s colonial coins showing him without a crown, instead using a laurel wreath. However, the 1893 Columbian Exposition quarter, which features Queen Isabella of Spain, stands out as the first U.S. coin to depict a monarch wearing a crown.
Ultimately, the lack of a crown on King Charles III’s coins aligns with historical precedent, and there is no official rule requiring a monarch to be depicted in this manner on currency. The debate seems more rooted in modern interpretation rather than in any symbolic change to the monarchy.
