Edward VIII coins
Edward VIII coins are a series of coins from the United Kingdom and other territories of the British Empire that were produced in 1936 upon the accession of King Edward VIII. Because of his short reign of just 360 days and eventual abdication, many never entered circulation and remained only as pattern pieces.[1]
The exact number of Edward VIII coins in existence is unknown. The vast majority of the coins from the United Kingdom were melted down by the Royal Mint after the King's abdication. Many pattern issues are retained by the Royal Mint Museum, with other surviving coins purchased by private collectors.[2] In 2020, an Edward VIII sovereign sold at auction for £1 million, the most for a British coin.[3] On 26 March 2021, a five pound gold coin sold at auction for $2,280,000, surpassing the previous record.[4]
United Kingdom
[edit]Striking of Edward VIII's coinage was scheduled to begin on 1 January 1937, one month after he abdicated in December 1936. Royal Mint reports from 1935–1936 suggest that over 200 dies for coins, medals, and seals had already been produced in preparation. These were eventually destroyed by the Mint, with only a few patterns being retained. Six four-pieces gold coin sets were also produced to celebrate the abandoned coronation; however, today it is estimated that only two complete sets remain, one in the Royal Mint Museum and the other owned by the private Tyrant Collection.[5]
| Coin | Known specimens | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farthing | ||
| Half Penny | ||
| Penny | 1 | |
| Three Pence | ||
| Six Pence | ||
| Shilling | ||
| Two Shillings | ||
| Half Crown | ||
| Crown | ||
| Sovereign | 6 | Of the six originally struck, four are in museums and institutions and two are privately owned.[6] |
| Double Sovereign | 6 | |
| Five pound | 6 |
Kutch and Jodhpur princely states
[edit]Some parts of the British Empire issued coins in the name of Edward VIII. Kutch, an Indian princely state was one such. Another was the State of Jodhpur although these 1936 issues are difficult to identify. Coins of Kutch carried the name of the local ruler on one side and the British monarch on the other. In 1936, the Princely State of Kutch first issued coins in the name of Khengarji III (the local ruler) and George V, followed by Edward VIII, and then George VI. Common denominations include silver coins of 1 kori, 2.5 kori, and 5 kori.[7]
Other issues
[edit]The colony of Fiji issued a one penny Edward VIII coin in 1936 as did New Guinea. Additional issues were made for British West Africa (three values) and East Africa (two values). None of these have an effigy because of a hole in the middle of the coins, but they do carry the inscription "Edward VIII" except for New Guinea which has the cypher "ERI".
Reproduction coins
[edit]Although no official circulating coins were produced with an effigy of King Edward VIII, several private mints have manufactured numerous replica coins bearing such an effigy. Most of these are dated 1936 even if manufactured years later. This has allowed collectors to have full range of coins for all the recent reigns.
Auctions
[edit]| Date | Coin | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 coin pattern set | £1,350,000 ($2.1 million) | [8] |
| 2019 | One Penny | £111,000 | Final price including buyer premium was £133,200[9] |
| 2021 | Five pound gold coin | $2,280,000 | [4] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Edward VIII – The Coinage That Never Was". Royal Mint. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "The coins of Edward VIII". Royal Mint Museum. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "'Never meant to exist': Edward VIII coin bought for record £1m". The Guardian. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ a b Edward VIII gold Proof Pattern 5 Pounds 1937 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC Retrieved 27 March 2023
- ^ "The Legendary Edward VIII Pattern 5 Pounds – The Coin Even a King Couldn't Have". Heritage Auctions. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Rare Edward VIII coin bought for million pounds". Reuters. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "1936 – the year of three kings – tezbid".
- ^ "Goldbergs Acquire Legendary King Edward VIII 1937 Proof Set". Coin Link. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017.
- ^ Chesters, Laura (26 September 2019). "Rare King Edward VIII coin makes UK auction record". antiquestradegazette.com. Retrieved 25 February 2021.