(Ger. krone, Fr. couronne, Lat. corona), an ornament worn on the head by kings and sovereign princes, as a badge of their dignity.

Crowns are often mentioned in Scripture; but the term "crown" appears to have been applied to other ornaments for the head than those exclusively worn by royal personages, and to which modern usage would give such distinctive names as coronet, band, mitre, tiara, garland, &c. For example, the mitre of the Jewish high priest—which was a tiara with the addition of a golden fillet—is also called a "crown." This circumstance serves to explain the use of the term as applied to the ornament worn on the head by the inferior priests, and even by private persons among the Israelites, since the Jews and several Eastern nations were accustomed to bind their hair with a ribbon or fillet, to prevent it falling over the face.

The regal crown originated in the diadem, which was a simple fillet fastened round the head and tied behind, as we still see it represented on ancient medals around the heads of Jupiter, the Ptolemies, and the kings of Syria. Kings, however, were generally distinguished by a fillet of a different colour from that usually worn,—as, for instance, by a golden band. In this shape it sometimes forms the basis of raised ornamental work, in which case it becomes what would commonly be considered a crown; and, indeed, the original diadem may be traced in most ancient crowns.

The Roman emperors had four kinds of crowns, which are still seen on medals; namely, a crown of laurels, a radial or radiating crown, a crown adorned with pearls and precious stones, and a kind of bonnet or cap, somewhat like the morièr.

The Romans had also various kinds of crowns which were bestowed as the rewards of military achievements, and others which were used in festive and funeral decorations, &c. Of these, the most important were the following:

Corona Obsidionalis, or Graminea, which conferred the highest honour, was the reward of a general who had delivered the Roman army from a blockade. It was composed of grass or weeds that grew on the spot; in allusion to a very ancient custom, by which the vanquished party in a contest of strength or agility acknowledged defeat by presenting to the victor a handful of grass torn up from the place where the contest took place. Corona Cirtica, the second in honour, was a garland of oak leaves presented to him who had saved the life of a citizen in battle. This conferred on the possessor extraordinary privileges, as noticed under the head Civic Crown.

Corona Navalis, or Rostrata, awarded to him who first boarded the ship of an enemy, was a circle of gold decorated with the rostra or beaks of ships, and sometimes with representations of the entire prow. It would seem that this reward, when bestowed for any extraordinary achievement—as on a commander who had destroyed a whole fleet or gained a very signal victory—was called Corona Classica.

Corona Muralis, a circle of gold, indented and embattled, or decorated with turrets, was bestowed on him who first scaled the walls of a besieged place, and was regarded as one of the highest of military honours.

Corona Vallaris, or Castrensis, a crown of gold ornamented with palisades, formed the reward of him who was the first to force an entrenchment.

Corona Triumphalis, a mark of honour conferred, as its name implies, on a victorious commander. Triumphal crowns were of three kinds. The first in dignity, and hence termed laurea insignis, was composed of laurel or of bay leaves. The second kind, made of massy gold, and frequently enriched with jewels, was held over the head of the commander during his triumph. These crowns were presented to the victorious general by the army. The third kind, called aurum coronarium, was originally a golden crown of great value, which was sent as a present from the provinces to a commander to whom the honour of a triumph had been decreed; but in time this came to be exacted as a tribute, and eventually was commuted into a sum of money. See Aurum Coronarium.

Corona Ocalis, composed of myrtle leaves, was bestowed upon a commander who was entitled to the honours of a lesser triumph, called oratio.

Besides these, there were various other coronae, of which the following may be mentioned: the corona aurea, often bestowed on soldiers without any particular designation; athletic crowns, and crowns of laurel, bestowed on victors at the public games, poets, orators, and others. Lastly may be noticed the corona radiata, which was given to gods and deified heroes, and assumed by some of the emperors (as mentioned above) as a mark of their divinity. This kind of crown may be seen impressed on some of their coins.

The use of crowns as rewards among the Greeks, in the early period of their history, was chiefly confined to those given as prizes in the athletic contests; but previous to the time of Alexander the Great crowns had become so common, and were so indiscriminately conferred, as to lose much of their value as marks of honourable distinction.

Crowns, in an ecclesiastical sense, is used to denote the clerical tonsure of the Roman Catholics. This is a little circle of hair shaved off from the crown of the head, more or less broad, according to the quality of the orders received; that of a mere clerk being the smallest, and that of priests and monks the largest. The clerical crown was anciently made in imitation of a fillet, by shaving off a portion of hair around the head. This may be seen in several ancient statues and monuments. The orders of St Dominic and St Francis still retain it. See Tonsure.

Crowns, in Astronomy, a name given to two constellations, the southern and the northern.

Crowns, in Geometry, a plane ring included between two parallel or concentric peripheries of unequal circles.

Crowns-Office. See Coroner.