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1 Crown - George III Pattern
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820 |
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| Engraver(s) | Obverse: Thomas Wyon; Reverse: Jean-Baptiste Merlen |
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| Reverse description | An elaborate cruciform shield design occupies the reverse field, composed of four heraldic cartouches arranged on the arms of a cross and surmounted by the Royal Crown. The upper cartouche displays the three lions passant guardant of England; the left cartouche bears a lion passant for Scotland; the right cartouche shows the Irish harp; and the lower cartouche depicts a horse passant, representing Hanover. At the centre of the cross, a circular garter medallion bears the motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE encircling an equestrian figure of St. George slaying the dragon. Between the arms of the cross, the national emblems of England (Tudor rose), Scotland (thistle), and Ireland (shamrock) are naturalistically rendered, with the engraver's signature Merlen fecit visible in the left field. |
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| Mintage | 1820 |
| Additional information |
George III died in January 1820 after a decade of incapacity, and the Royal Mint had been quietly preparing coinage for the transition. This pattern crown is among several trial pieces produced as the mint worked toward a new coinage standard — the same process that would culminate in Pistrucci's St George reverse becoming the definitive type under George IV. Whether this specific pattern was a serious contender or an exploratory strike is debated; pattern crowns of this transitional moment exist in multiple die combinations, and KM#PnB80 represents one branch of that unresolved lineage.