Crown Gold

The term crown gold comes from 16th century England and refers to gold with a purity of 91.667% or 22 carats. Under Henry VIII, the purity of gold coins was reduced from 23 carats to 22 because the 22 carat coins were too soft. Since the coins were issued by the crown as a synonym of royalty, the term crown gold became generally accepted for this specific number of carats.