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A crown on a decoration, marking the sovereign as the source of the honour.
Also known as: Crown on a medal, Royal crown motif
A crown on a British or Commonwealth award marks the sovereign as the fount of honour rather than saying anything about the recipient. Which crown is depicted changes with the reigning monarch, so the motif dates the award as well as attributing it.
A crown surmounting or forming part of a decoration, indicating that the award is made by or in the name of the sovereign.
United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms · Contexts: History
The crown depicted follows the reigning monarch: St Edward's Crown through Elizabeth II's reign, the Tudor Crown adopted on the accession of Charles III. An award's crown therefore narrows its date of issue.
United Kingdom · Crown form changed in 2022
Says nothing about the recipient's rank or the award's grade — it attributes the honour to its source. Reading a crown on a medal as a mark of seniority is a straightforward error.
A crown marks who gave the award, not who received it or at what level.
A crown shown from the front: a jewelled circle band beneath arches rising to a small orb and cross, worked in relief at the top of a medal or its suspender.
A crown on a medal attributes the award to the sovereign; a crown on a shoulder marks a field-officer rank.