Upon entering the RCA Museum’s artillery gallery, visitors pass two small cannons standing guard solemnly.

If they examine the pair, museum goers will notice some elegant-looking crests decorating the barrels. These markings, called monograms or cyphers, hold information about the ownership, manufacturing, and date of the cannons.

Guns crafted after the late 1600s generally comprise two cyphers: one closer to the muzzle, representing the Master of Ordnance, and the other nearer to the base, called the Royal cypher, identifying the reigning monarch.

Serving generals could earn the title of Master General of Ordnance, a senior position in charge off all ordnance, which included artillery. Starting in 1693, each succeeding Master General of Ordnance had his cypher, much like a family crest, which featured an initial typically encircled by a classic design of natural elements or inscriptions, topped with a crown associated with hi peerage.

As for the Royal cypher, it helps identify an individual ruler. It features the sovereign’s first initial followed by ‘R,’ which stands for Rex or Regina, the Latin words for king and queen, respectively.

A Royal crown sits atop the lettering. Currently, one of the most familiar monograms belongs to the late Queen Elizabeth. It features the letters E II R for Elizabeth II, Regina, surmounted by the St. Edward’s crown.

Other standard markings found on old cannons are the name of the manufacturing company and the year of casting, as well as the gun’s weight, often represented by three numbers on British guns: hundred-weight (cwt), quarters (qr) and pounds (lb). Manufacturer sometimes added a fourth figure: the imperial ton. Some cannons also display serial number on its trunnions.

Today‘s artillery, like the M777, does not depict the Master General of Ordnance cypher, as the British artillery abolished the senior general position in 2013. 

However, it continues to feature the Royal cypher of Queen Elizabeth II. With last year’ death of Queen Elizabeth and a new sovereign soon to be crowned, we are already starting to see King Charles III’s Royal insignia in circulation.