<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-01-04</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>false</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001219601</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CROWN HOLDINGS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CCK</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001672913</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Bourque Robert H Jr</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE CROWN WAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PHILADELPHIA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>PA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>19154</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>false</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>true</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>false</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>false</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President - Asia Pacific Div.</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>233</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>401(k)</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-01-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>false</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10282</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>30938</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">At December 31, 2017, the Reporting Person owned 233 shares of CCK Common Stock under the CCK 401(k) Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The Reporting Person was granted 10,282 shares of Restricted Common Stock under the 2013 Stock-Based Compensation Plan. 3,494 time-vested restricted shares vest over a three year period as follows: 1,165 time-vested restricted shares on January 4, 2019 and January 4, 2020, and 1,164 time-vested restricted shares on January 4, 2021. 3,294 performance-based restricted shares are targeted to vest on January 4, 2021 based on the Company's Total Shareholder Return versus a defined peer group of companies, with the final number of performance-based vested shares varying from 0 to 200% of 3,294. 3,494 performance-based restricted shares are targeted to vest on January 4, 2021 based on the Return on Invested Capital achieved by the Company compared to the ROIC target, with the final number of performance-based vested shares varying from 0 to 200% of 3,494.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Rosemary M. Haselroth, by Power of Attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-01-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
