Crowns are often spiked, like rays of the sun. This is no coincidence, since crowns have long been associated with the ancient sun god. Thus they are worn by royalty and those in supreme authority, and granted to those who deserve to wear them.
The crown represents the glory of life after death, heavenly reward, or the deceased's ascension to Heaven. It is the emblem of the Christian martyr, and of the ‘Crown of Life’, the reward for those who stayed faithful until death. See: 1Corinthians 9:24-27, James 1, 12 and Revelation 2, 10.