| ¼ crown | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
¼ crown = US$0.25 |
| Years |
1981 |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
5.67 g |
| Diameter |
24.26 mm |
| Composition | |
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
round |
| Alignment |
medallic |
| Edge |
reeded |
| Obverse |
Elizabeth II, monarch title, year |
| Reverse |
Caribbean spiny lobster (Panuliras argus), state title, value |
| v · d · e | |
The ¼ crown coin is a former circulation piece of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was issued in a single type along with a ½ crown piece in 1981. Both of these coins were distributed by the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and struck under commission at the Royal Mint.
The piece was initially legal tender on the Turks and Caicos Islands, circulating for a nominal value of ¼ crown, or 0.25 United States dollars, before its demonetization in 1986.
The ¼ crown piece is composed of a cupronickel alloy and measures 5.67 grams in mass and 24.26 millimeters in diameter. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and undecorated.
The obverse of the coin was designed by Arnold Machin (1911–1999), a prominent British sculptor and coin designer. Displayed in the center is an illustration of a young Queen Elizabeth II (1926–; r. 1952–), the reigning British monarch at the time the coin was minted. In this depiction, the queen is portrayed in her late thirties, facing right and wearing the George IV State Diadem on her head. Accompanying the image is the caption "ELIZABETH II D.G.REGINA", an abbreviation for the Latin Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia Regina, which translates to English as "Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen". On the coin, this inscription is engraved clockwise from the lower left to lower right peripheries, and is separated between the numeral and abbreviation "D.G." by Elizabeth's head. Printed in the opposite direction along the rim below the queen's likeness is the Gregorian date of minting, "1981".
A depiction of a Caribbean spiny lobster (Panuliras argus), a species of marine crustacean native to the North Atlantic, is featured in the center of the reverse. Printed clockwise along the rim above is the English name of the issuing territory, "TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS". Inscribed in the opposite direction along the periphery below is the face value "QUARTER CROWN", which is separated from the aforementioned legend by two small circular points.
The total mintage of the coin is currently unknown. Only business strikes of this particular type are reported to exist.
References
- Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – Turks & Caicos Islands - ¼ Crown, KM# 51 (1981)
- Colnect – ¼ Crown (1981)
- Numista – ¼ Crown (1981) (English) (French)
- Schön, Günter and Gerhard, Weltmünzkatalog 20. Jahrhundert, 44. Auflage, 2016, Battenberg Gietl Verlag, ISBN 9783866461192
Template:Turks and Caicos Islands coins