British Kings "Bullet Book," Edward VIII, 1936
BillJones
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Pattern Gold Sovereign, British Museum RMM9
Edward VIII abdicated before any official coins were issued with his portrait.
The pattern gold sovereign show above is one of five or six known
• Edward VIII, who was known as David among the members of the royal family, was not well suited to be king. Although he was handsome and charismatic, he resented the royal duties that were connected with the crown. As he grew older, he became far more interested in a life of luxury and showed little interest in the ceremonial and symbolic duties that were required of a king.
• He dated many women, but his most serious trysts were with older married ladies. This became the source of considerable gossip and scandal.
• Edward VIII fell hopelessly in love with Wallis Simpson, American lady who had once been divorced and was on her way to leaving a second husband.
• Any thought of marrying her had to be delayed until her second divorce was final, but once it was, Edward was eager to say his vows.
• The Church of England and the nation were not prepared to accept a twice divorced woman as their queen. Edward had to choose between Simpson or his crown.
• On December 10, 1936 Edward signed his abdication papers so that he could, “marry the woman that I love.”
• There is a customary one year delay between the time that a king takes office and the issuance of the first coins with his name and portrait. Preparations were in the works for Edward’s coinage, but none of his coins were released officially.
• Two gold sovereigns are available to collectors, and the British Museum holds three others. One of the pieces in collectors’ hands sold for almost $875,000 in 2014.
• Edward VIII’s sympathies for Fascism were another source for royal family embarrassment. During World War II, George VI made Edward the Governor of the Bahamas to keep him out of European politics.
• Later George VI had papers destroyed to supported the rumors that Edward VIII was sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
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Comments
Edward VIII - faulty judgement or complicit?
Some pattern threepence coins were struck up because they were issuing the 12 sided coins, so they struck the pattern coins with EVIII's image. There are perhaps a couple of dozen of these coins known, and some apparently did slip into circulation sometime after GVI's threenubs were released into circulation beginning in 1937.
Edward VIII became King of England in early 1936 and abdicated late that year, because:
or
This British newspaper front page has a small article on coins of Edward VIII:
Daily Herald newspaper, December 11, 1936
No coins of King Edward
NO COINS OF KING EDWARD
RUSH TO BUY STAMPS
No King Edward VIII coins will ever be in circulation.
No coins could have been made before a royal proclamation announcing the date on which the coinage would come into circulation.
Such a proclamation was expected this month. It would have described the design for the King's head and the designs of the reverse sides for the different denominations.
The existing King Edward stamps will be issued until the stocks are exhausted.
Within a quarter of an hour of the abdication announcement, post offices at [] were raided yesterday by philatelists. They purchased all King Edward stamps of the higher denominations.
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Two coins were issued in Edward VIII's name - a penny in Fiji dated 1936, and a 5 Kori coin in the Indian state of Kutch.
And of course, who can forget all the nonsensical Coincraft issues?
Also New Guinea penny. I have one in proof.
Well, just Love coins, period.
British West Africa, East Africa and Indian Princely State of Jaipur are the ones not mentioned in above posts minting coins bearing Edward VIII's name.
Of course the Spink Patina Collection had many examples from many countries. I have bought such an example just to represent what could have been.
FYI: Happen to currently have some Edward VIII pieces up on Great Collections. Including the Fiji penny and African pieces.
https://www.greatcollections.com/sell/current
RKL
Great thread!
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Territory Of New Guinea issued one penny pieces under the name of Edward VIII.
Well, just Love coins, period.
Definitely a notable figure of the 20th Century
Great thread as usual Bill
Steve
Strange comment. He viewed the Nazis favorably before, during , and even after WWII. Good friends with Hitler. Well documented. Not a "rumor". He was viewed as a security risk, to put it politely, and was shipped off to the Caribbean during WWII to get him out of the way, and away from sensitive intelligence sources.
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What's strange about it, he is notable for ALL the reasons you state, no argument, FDR had him under covert surveillance by the FBI, he was an embarrassment to the Royal Family, he definitely has a place as a NOTABLE FIGURE of the 20th Century for better or worse, I'm thinking you think it strange that I personally condone his behavior, you couldn't be more way off, because I don't, as a 2nd generation Czechoslovakian American, I also believe he had his hand in the Neville Chamberlain giving up my Grandpa's Country BS with Nazi Germany. However it seems like a cliché to quote that "Those who forget History are DOOMED to repeat it" anyhow Bills History lessons with coinage is TOP NOTCH and I enjoy them.
Steve
I'm pretty sure I have previously mentioned that Edward VIII performed the 1936 Royal Maundy himself - the coins were with his father's portrait.
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Well, just Love coins, period.
Notable does not mean good or bad but it can refer to either. Hilter was TIME's Man of the Year in 1938 and Stalin was TIME's Man of the Year in 1939.
Does anyone have any information about this coin?
Wow! This was a blast from the past! I have continued to revise my "bullet book" many times after this post.
Here is the piece that is now a place holder in my collection for Edward VIII. It is one of many unofficial coronation medals that were made before and probably after he abdicated. It is a PCGS certified piece.
I don't know for sure @Jcoins, but I would say that the piece you have is one of those many unofficial coronations medals.
@Jcoins
The coin you have is a fantasy crown. There was a series of these from some of the Commonwealth nations. I think the one you have is from the early 1970s. There is another set of fantasy crowns that have a much higher relief. I believe the higher relief examples are earlier and more desirable
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Keep a lookout for King Charles iii coins. When they hit the market.
Not a coin. A modern fantasy issue. Done of GB and all Commonwealth nations.
At the moment, CNG has the Investiture medal for the Prince of Wales (I believe this medal is from around 1915) in auction 117 that closes today. Looks to be a stunning example.
On a separate issue, there is reason to suspect that Charles may not take his own name when he assumes the throne. I think we will see George VII before Charles III.
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Charles I beheaded, Charles II bedded, Charles III ...
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Let me put it this way. I am not a fan of Charles III or whatever he chooses to call himself.
I collect British coins and have the colonial coins issued in the name of Edward VIII. I then did a set of 1937 coins. Some of the intended reverses for Edward VIII were used for George VI. Since these were the same dies, in a way makes them 1/2 a Edward VIII coin.
Looks neat, any idea when produced ?
Steve
Probably some time during 1936-7 when Edward was king or soon after he abdicated.