1 Crown - William III 2nd bust

The 1696 crown was struck in the opening year of the Great Recoinage — a monetary crisis so severe that by mid-decade, clipped and counterfeited hammered silver had rendered much of England's circulating coinage nearly worthless. Parliament authorized a complete recall and reminting, and the Royal Mint, overwhelmed by volume, enlisted temporary branch mints at Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Norwich, and York to keep pace. The operation nearly bankrupted the Treasury and consumed Isaac Newton's first years as Warden of the Mint.

The second bust variety was introduced that same year to replace the first, which was deemed unsatisfactory in relief. Dies from 1696 are frequently found with evidence of excessive wear from overstruck production runs.