The original crown was made for the coronation of Ladislaus the Short in 1320 and symbolised the regalia bestowed upon Bolesław I the Brave by Emperor Otto III over three centuries earlier.

Following the Partitions of Poland, the crown along with other insignia was stolen from the royal treasury at Wawel Castle in Kraków and melted down.

According to historical accounts, the crown was two-arched, made of gold and featured 474 uncut gemstones on a fleur-de-lis setting.

The crown treasury was plundered and the royal insignia robbed and later melted down on the order of King Frederick William II of Prussia, who experienced financial hardship during the Napoleonic Wars.

[4] Based on historical drawings, paintings, descriptions and using a number of Prussian coins believed to have been minted from the gold of the crown in 1811, a team led by Adam Orzechowski of Nowy Sącz produced a recreation in 2001-2003.

in diameter, 80 pearls, and 5 square feet (0.46 m2) of royal purple silk velvet, likely similar to the dimensions of the original crown.