The times., 1901-05-12
Intrinsic Values Range From N Far
thing TO $4,000 an Ounce.
(From Tit-Bits.)

One of the most remarkable of many
most interesting facts relating TO royai
crowns is that, while some of them would
be intrinsically dear at a farthing an
ounce, it would be d profitable Investment
to purchase others for $4,000 or $5oOVO an
an ounce, simply for the gems that are III
crusted on them.
The oldest and certainly one of the most
historically interesting crowns in Europe
is the famous iron crown of Lombardy,
whose intrinsic value may be dismissed
| as beneath notice, and which is so small
that it could not be worn by any but
very small child, for whom, indeed, 1t
would be much too heavy for comfort
The crown of Roumania had no more
distinguished origin or material than
few pieces of an old cannon captured at
the siege of. Plevna, and, as old iron,
would certainly only realize a few pence.
Between these intrinsically valueless
crowns and those at the opposite end or
the scale of values there is very wide
gulf, for the crown oGPortugal, which
has the reputation of being by far the
| most costly in Europe, is valued al S.
| 900, ,G00 or thousands of times its weight
in pure gold.
Probably the next place in the scale Of
values is occupied by the elaborately
beautiful and costly crown made for the
coronation OF our late Queen, and which
will be used in the coronation of King
| Edward VII. With it's circlet, crosses.
| heur-de-Iys, arches and mound, thickly
| incrusted with rare jewels, it Is perhaps
the most stately ana imposing II not tne
most beautiful crown In the world.
| In the Maltese cross blaZes the magnifi-
cent ruby given to 57 Edward the ;, Black Il!.
| tory of Najera, nearly five and half
centuries ago, and which was actually
worn by Henry at the battle of Agin-
court, and much older and more historic
| ally valuable still is the beautiful sap
| phire which, according to legend, once
| flashed on the finger of Edward the C@n-
feSsor.
In addition to these historic gems there
are 3,092 other rare and carefully chosen
| jewels. chiefly taken from older crowns,
| and including no fewer than 2,7S dia-
| mOnds. The cap is Of violet velvet mot
| of crimson or purple, as in all the earlier
| crowns) with a lining of white silk and
| border of ermine.
This stately crown weighs two pounds
| seven ounces which. although too much
| for comfort in wearing. is certainly less
| than might be imagined from its appear
| ance and composition.
II is interesting to contrast this sumptu-
| Gus crown with the plain circlet. height
| ened with four spikes, worn by the first
William and a few of his successors; and
with the many-arched crown worn by the
Stuart kings. which, although it weighed
seven pounds six ounces. was only valued
at 81 no, or (without taking into account
| the different value of money! much less
| than one-three- -hundredth part of the val
ue Of King Edwards crown. No fewer
| than four crowns will make their appear
ance at the coming coronation, two of
which will be used In the act of crowning
the King and Queen, while the other two
win be worn during the following service.
The palm of the most beautiful of all
European crowns is awarded TO that of
Denmark, which is an exquisite produc
| tion of art, marked as much by simplicity
of form as by delicate workmanship. The
| leaves which surround the circlet are out
| lined and veined by precious stones, while
| a single gem of great beauty blazes from
| the centre of each leaf. o.
Compared with this beautiful crown
| that of the German Emperors. with its
| tumble of eagles and hoops crosses and
| globe, is cumbrous and inartistic, al
| though of considerable intrinsic value,
| while the crown of the Gear. with its Gu
| rious resemblance to a. bishops mitre, its
| matchlcss cross of ruby and diamonds.
| and its gorgeous sapphire, is more impos-
| ing, if much less artistic
| 1t is a curious and Interesting fact that
| the most valuable stone in many OF the
| crowns of Europe is a sapphire; indeed, il
| would probably be impossible to match
| for beauty and puEitX the sapphires in
| the crowns of Russia. Austria, and Hun
gary: while the finest ruby in the world.
a-stone Of fawless beauty and as large as
| a small hens egg. blaZes from the top OF
| the Shahs magnificent, if eccentric,
crown
No crown is more jealously guarded
than that of Hungary, over which armed
| watch is kept day and night in the strong
| hold OF Buda The crown Is the object of
so much veneratiou that no man IS con-
sdored King until ne has worn IT. and the
stories of its mysterious disappearance
| and recoveries are among the most cap
| tivating romances of Europe.