I like them both. Here's one of my Soviet sets from Minsk I call the all ball finial set. But my all time favorite Chavet vintage set (I lack) has the simple "+" sign cross on top. 
Finials on Monarchs - Thoughts?
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Also check out this Dubrovnik plastic set. It has cross finials for the kings. I think more to differentiate more easily between King and Queen in fast play rather than having any religious inference BTW GM Kostic is Awesome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6w1mKlywM
Jun 20, 2016
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#5
I prefer a cross on the king for the sole reason that I want it to be easily identifiable by the top. In the photo from post #2, I see essentially no difference in the finials on the queen, bishop, and king. This is a big problem for me. It's the main reason I do not like the standard Dubrovnik chess sets. The variants that have crosses on the king are great. It is 100% about how the set plays for me, and quick, easy, standard identification markings like the cross on the king are essential to me.
I prefer the cross.
I'm slightly partial to the Dubrovnik and BCE Eastern style.
Jun 21, 2016
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#9
I like both styles and there are some in both styles I do not like.
Because of the different designs of the tops of the Kings and Queens in most all sets, I have never had a problem distinguishing the pieces.
Jun 21, 2016
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#10
For me, it's not confusion or difficulty, it's simply that they aren't instantly identifiable by the tops, even peripherally. It's distracting, not confusing or difficult.
Royals were given their power through the grace of God and thus the sovereign was adorned with a crown and the chess king in the shape of the crown enbodies the head of state. Crowns of Kings of Christendom and the Holy Roman Empire had a orb with cross that symbolized regal authority since the middle ages.
Both East and West finial designs represent the same thing and I find both appropriate for my chessic monarchs.
OK.
I'm going to try and broach a sensitive subject (for some here...) in hopefully a delicate manner. I do not want this to degenerate into a religious or communist political discussion.
In essence, how do you feel about monarch finials? Does it matter to you? If so, do you like and prefer the "Western" cross designs, or the more secular ("non-religious") type "Eastern" designs? What about the "in-between" designs like starburst patterns or "Chetak" hole in hourglass type?
I personally have a VERY strong bias toward non-cross finial designs. I have a few sets with cross finials (including my favorite travel/analysis set!)... but overall, I prefer the more "Eastern" styles like ball or hourglass Chetak finials. Part of this has to do with my being an Atheist, but more of it has to do with the Eastern origins of the game, and my feeling that Western Europeans kind of "co-opted" the whole thing by clothing it in their own Christian symbolism. I recognize that there is a long tradition that goes along with cross finials in Europe, but I also know that this tradition is an "add-on", and that the originators of the game did not embellish it with such symbolism.
Thoughts?