Crown of the Rose facts for kids

The Crown of the Rose was a super rare gold coin from the Kingdom of England. It was made in 1526 when King Henry VIII was in charge. He wanted to make a coin that could compete with a French coin called the écu au soleil. But the Crown of the Rose wasn't very successful. Just a few months later, it was replaced by a new coin called the Crown of the Double-Rose.

The Crown of the Rose coin was worth four shillings and sixpence. It weighed about 3.5 grams and was made of very pure gold (23 carats). Because it was only made for a short time, there are only three of these coins known to exist today!

Finding the Rare Crown of the Rose Coins

These coins are so rare that finding one is a big deal! Here's what we know about the three coins that have been found:

Crown of the Rose #1: The First Discovery

This coin was found around 1907. You can see it at the American Numismatic Society museum in New York. It used to belong to J. Sandford Saltus, who was important in coin collecting groups.

Crown of the Rose #2: The British Museum Coin

The second known Crown of the Rose coin is kept at the British Museum. It was added to their collection in 1920. This coin is special because it was once drilled. Someone probably wore it as a necklace!

Crown of the Rose #3: The Northumberland Find

The third coin was sold in London in 1961 for a lot of money – £4,000! It came from a man in Northumberland who had a collection of old coins. He didn't even know how valuable it was! Experts say this coin looks the best of the three.

What Did the Crown of the Rose Look Like?

Coins usually have two sides: the front (obverse) and the back (reverse).

• Front (Obverse): This side showed a crowned shield. On the shield were the symbols of England and France. Around the edge, it said something like "Henry VIII, by the Grace of God King of England and France."
• Back (Reverse): This side had a big rose with two crowned letters "h" (for Henry) and two lions. The words around the edge meant "Henry, a dazzling rose without a thorn." Sometimes it also said "Lord of Ireland" before that phrase.

The Crown of the Double-Rose: A Better Coin

After the first coin didn't work out, the Crown of the Double-Rose was created. This coin was more popular and lasted much longer.

What Made the Double-Rose Different?

The Crown of the Double-Rose was worth 5 shillings. It weighed a bit more, about 3.73 grams, and was 26 millimeters wide. But here's an interesting fact: it had a slightly lower gold content (22 carats). This was the first time gold coins in England were made with less than 23 carats of gold!

This new coin was a big success. It was made until King Henry VIII died in 1547. It even continued to be made until 1551 during the reign of King Edward VI, even though Henry was no longer alive. These coins made after a king's death are sometimes called "posthumous coinage."

What Did the Crown of the Double-Rose Look Like?

This coin also had a front and a back with special designs.

• Front (Obverse): This side showed a crowned shield with the symbols of England and France. It also had crowned letters like "hK" (for Henry and Katherine of Aragon or Katherine Howard), "hA" (for Anne Boleyn), "hI" (for Jane Seymour), or "hR" (for Henry Rex, meaning King Henry). The words around the edge meant "By the Grace of God, King of England and France, Lord of Ireland."
• Back (Reverse): This side featured a large crowned rose. It also had the crowned letters "hK," "hA," "hI," or "hR," just like on the front. The words around the edge meant "Henry VIII, a dazzling rose without a thorn."

The Half-Crown: A Smaller Version

There was also a smaller coin made at the same time, called the Half-crown. It was based on the design of the Crown of the Double-Rose.

Half-Crown Details

The Half-crown was worth two shillings and sixpence. It weighed about 1.85 grams and was 20 millimeters wide. It was made during the same period as the Crown of the Double-Rose.

What Did the Half-Crown Look Like?

The Half-crown had similar designs to the Crown of the Double-Rose, but with some small differences.

• Front (Obverse): This side looked similar to the Crown of the Double-Rose, but the letters (like "hK") were not crowned. The words around the edge meant "Henry VIII, by the Grace of God King of England, France and Ireland."
• Back (Reverse): This side also looked similar to the Crown of the Double-Rose, with uncrowned letters. The words around the edge simply meant "a dazzling rose without a thorn."