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Auction 49 15 Jan 2020
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Great Britain
Edward VIII (Jan-Dec 1936), Silver Pattern Crown of Five Shillings, 1937. Struck on 0.500 silver, bare head left, HP below for designer T. Humphrey Paget, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, EDWARDVS VIII D: G: BR: OMN: REX, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, crowned lion supporter to left, unicorn supporter to right, K and G within legs of each supporter for reverse designer Kruger Gray, all on ground line with emblematic banner in three parts, DIEU /ET MON / DROIT, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, lower legend CROWN: 1937., upper legend FID: DEF: : IND: IMP, edge milled, weight 28.24g (Giordano P10a; Bull 4000 R6; Davies 2000; cf.L&S.p110; ESC -; KM.Pn131; S.4063). Toned, with some blemishes, very slight abrasion to small part at top of obverse rim, probably contemporary with manufacture, otherwise practically as struck, mint state and one of the key rarities to the Crown series, the only singular Crown currently available and an unrivalled opportunity for a collector, the only other Crown available is currently part of a complete set in the Tyrant Collection, of the highest rarity thus. Value $150,000 - UP
Of the highest rarity in the milled Crown series, this Edward VIII Proof Crown is currently the only single example available to purchase for a collector. The only other privately held example forms part of a complete set that seems unlikely to be separated, and has been recently displayed in Long Beach California. Edward VIII who controversially abdicated his throne for the woman he loved on 10th December 1936, was just about to authorise a new British coinage to be ready in time for his Coronation planned for 12th May 1937, and as a reuslt no British currency coin was issued for use by the general public.
This is only the fifth time this actual coin has ever been publicly auctioned, and the first time it has been seen for sale in the USA since its first auction outing in Houston, Texas in 1978.
The coinage had caused much controversy in development mainly from Edward's refusal to follow the coinage tradition to face the opposite direction to his predecessor, as his father King George V had faced left. This tradition dated back to King Charles II who had wished to face the opposite way to Oliver Cromwell on his English coinage, and was followed by all succeeding monarchs, until Edward VIII who preferred his left facing profile. In Edward's memoirs there is an account of his own discussions with Sir Robert Johnson the Deputy Master (pp.293-294), between February and April 1936 revealing that the mint went as far as instructing Thomas Humphrey Paget the artist in favour, as he had impressed the King with his effigy upon the Master Mariner medal (Giordano CM139), to transfer the King's left side facial features to a right facing portrait (not including the hair in this transition) before Edward insisted, as was his privilege, for his left facing portrait only to feature on coins and stamps. Subsequently the Deputy Master had to report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the King insisted on facing left, which was approved.
One of the earliest announcements of a coinage dating from the 9 July 1936, by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Neville Chamberlain stated that where "in accordance with custom" specimen sets, of the first issue of coins of King Edward VIII would be issued to collectors and others requiring them. Sets of gold coins would be available at special prices to all who applied. More significantly the report ends with news that "A Coronation set of gold coins consists of four pieces - £5, £2, £1 and a half-sovereign" (reported in the Daily Telegraph, 10 July 1936, repeated in the Spink Numismatic Circular August 1936, p.283), especially interesting as eventually no gold Half-Sovereign was ever produced.
Trial strikes of proposed coinage designs were shown to the King on 24th July 1936 for final approval, where he chose the bare head left facing effigy by T. H. Paget to represent him on the obverse of British coins, and a crowned bust by Percy Metcalfe for the Dominions. A series of heraldic designs were chosen for the reverses of the silver denominations designed by Kruger Gray with the classic St George and dragon design after Pistrucci for the gold coinage reverses. An unusual shaped new denomination of the brass dodecagonal Threepence featuring a thrift plant design by Madge Kitchener was also to be introduced for the first time. The bronze Penny reverse was engraved by C W Coombes, the bronze Halfpenny ship reverse design was adapted from a proposed Halfcrown by T. H. Paget, and the bronze Farthing reverse with the wren by H. Wilson Parker (Dyer pp.12-19).
The Royal Mint reports for 1935-1936 revealed that at the time of the abdication in December 1936, some 200 dies for coins, medals, and seals that had been prepared for use, had had to be scrapped. The whole process of coinage preparation as well as medals and seals, had to start all over again for King George VI, though the chosen artists for the obverse portraiture Mr Paget and Mr Metcalfe remained the same as for his elder brother.
In Portraits of Prince, Giordano has tried to trace all the sets and singles of the actual proof coins, and they are listed in a table on page 254. In relation to the silver Crown, Giordano gives a total of six examples of the brilliant proof in existence, two of which are held privately, one being this coin the other being a component part of a complete set; the other four Crowns being all institutionalized as integral parts of complete sets. The locations of the four sets in institutions are listed as Royal Family, British Museum and two in the Royal Mint. There is additionally a matt proof version of this Crown (Giordano P10b) which is in the Royal Mint Museum.
As an epilogue Giordano reveals that the Duke of Windsor tried to obtain a set of the British proof coins featuring his portrait from the Royal Mint, as can be seen from a Royal Mint memorandum of 3 December 1951 (Giordano letter C, p.258). The request was deferred for an answer from George VI himself, who refused his elder brother's request. The Duke of Windsor died 25 May 1972. An unrivalled opportunity occurs now to bid for and own a piece of history and we repeat, this is the only King Edward VIII silver Crown currently available that is not an integral component part of a proof set.
For further reading of how the proposed coinage progressed from start till the King's abdication please see "The Proposed Coinage of Edward VIII" by G P Dyer, published by HMSO 1973. Portraits of a Prince – Coins Medals and Banknotes of Edward VIII, by Joseph S Giordano Jr, published 2009. A King's Story, The Memoirs of HRH The Duke of Windsor KG, published 1951.
The Latin legends translate as on obverse "Edward the Eighth, by the grace of God, King of all the Britons," and on the reverse as "Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India" with the French language garter motto as "God and my right.".
Ex Richard Lobel Collection, Bowers and Ruddy, Los Angeles, A.N.A. Houston Auction, 21-26th August 1978, lot 2933. Ex Spink Coin Auction 124, 18-19th November 1997, lot Ex Sotheby, 29th June 1998, lot Ex Spink Coin Auction 1261, 15th November 2000, lot 346.
Edward VIII (Jan-Dec 1936), Silver Pattern Crown of Five Shillings, 1937. Struck on 0.500 silver, bare head left, HP below for designer T. Humphrey Paget, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, EDWARDVS VIII D: G: BR: OMN: REX, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, crowned lion supporter to left, unicorn supporter to right, K and G within legs of each supporter for reverse designer Kruger Gray, all on ground line with emblematic banner in three parts, DIEU /ET MON / DROIT, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, lower legend CROWN: 1937., upper legend FID: DEF: : IND: IMP, edge milled, weight 28.24g (Giordano P10a; Bull 4000 R6; Davies 2000; cf.L&S.p110; ESC -; KM.Pn131; S.4063). Toned, with some blemishes, very slight abrasion to small part at top of obverse rim, probably contemporary with manufacture, otherwise practically as struck, mint state and one of the key rarities to the Crown series, the only singular Crown currently available and an unrivalled opportunity for a collector, the only other Crown available is currently part of a complete set in the Tyrant Collection, of the highest rarity thus. Value $150,000 - UP
Of the highest rarity in the milled Crown series, this Edward VIII Proof Crown is currently the only single example available to purchase for a collector. The only other privately held example forms part of a complete set that seems unlikely to be separated, and has been recently displayed in Long Beach California. Edward VIII who controversially abdicated his throne for the woman he loved on 10th December 1936, was just about to authorise a new British coinage to be ready in time for his Coronation planned for 12th May 1937, and as a reuslt no British currency coin was issued for use by the general public.
This is only the fifth time this actual coin has ever been publicly auctioned, and the first time it has been seen for sale in the USA since its first auction outing in Houston, Texas in 1978.
The coinage had caused much controversy in development mainly from Edward's refusal to follow the coinage tradition to face the opposite direction to his predecessor, as his father King George V had faced left. This tradition dated back to King Charles II who had wished to face the opposite way to Oliver Cromwell on his English coinage, and was followed by all succeeding monarchs, until Edward VIII who preferred his left facing profile. In Edward's memoirs there is an account of his own discussions with Sir Robert Johnson the Deputy Master (pp.293-294), between February and April 1936 revealing that the mint went as far as instructing Thomas Humphrey Paget the artist in favour, as he had impressed the King with his effigy upon the Master Mariner medal (Giordano CM139), to transfer the King's left side facial features to a right facing portrait (not including the hair in this transition) before Edward insisted, as was his privilege, for his left facing portrait only to feature on coins and stamps. Subsequently the Deputy Master had to report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the King insisted on facing left, which was approved.
One of the earliest announcements of a coinage dating from the 9 July 1936, by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Neville Chamberlain stated that where "in accordance with custom" specimen sets, of the first issue of coins of King Edward VIII would be issued to collectors and others requiring them. Sets of gold coins would be available at special prices to all who applied. More significantly the report ends with news that "A Coronation set of gold coins consists of four pieces - £5, £2, £1 and a half-sovereign" (reported in the Daily Telegraph, 10 July 1936, repeated in the Spink Numismatic Circular August 1936, p.283), especially interesting as eventually no gold Half-Sovereign was ever produced.
Trial strikes of proposed coinage designs were shown to the King on 24th July 1936 for final approval, where he chose the bare head left facing effigy by T. H. Paget to represent him on the obverse of British coins, and a crowned bust by Percy Metcalfe for the Dominions. A series of heraldic designs were chosen for the reverses of the silver denominations designed by Kruger Gray with the classic St George and dragon design after Pistrucci for the gold coinage reverses. An unusual shaped new denomination of the brass dodecagonal Threepence featuring a thrift plant design by Madge Kitchener was also to be introduced for the first time. The bronze Penny reverse was engraved by C W Coombes, the bronze Halfpenny ship reverse design was adapted from a proposed Halfcrown by T. H. Paget, and the bronze Farthing reverse with the wren by H. Wilson Parker (Dyer pp.12-19).
The Royal Mint reports for 1935-1936 revealed that at the time of the abdication in December 1936, some 200 dies for coins, medals, and seals that had been prepared for use, had had to be scrapped. The whole process of coinage preparation as well as medals and seals, had to start all over again for King George VI, though the chosen artists for the obverse portraiture Mr Paget and Mr Metcalfe remained the same as for his elder brother.
In Portraits of Prince, Giordano has tried to trace all the sets and singles of the actual proof coins, and they are listed in a table on page 254. In relation to the silver Crown, Giordano gives a total of six examples of the brilliant proof in existence, two of which are held privately, one being this coin the other being a component part of a complete set; the other four Crowns being all institutionalized as integral parts of complete sets. The locations of the four sets in institutions are listed as Royal Family, British Museum and two in the Royal Mint. There is additionally a matt proof version of this Crown (Giordano P10b) which is in the Royal Mint Museum.
As an epilogue Giordano reveals that the Duke of Windsor tried to obtain a set of the British proof coins featuring his portrait from the Royal Mint, as can be seen from a Royal Mint memorandum of 3 December 1951 (Giordano letter C, p.258). The request was deferred for an answer from George VI himself, who refused his elder brother's request. The Duke of Windsor died 25 May 1972. An unrivalled opportunity occurs now to bid for and own a piece of history and we repeat, this is the only King Edward VIII silver Crown currently available that is not an integral component part of a proof set.
For further reading of how the proposed coinage progressed from start till the King's abdication please see "The Proposed Coinage of Edward VIII" by G P Dyer, published by HMSO 1973. Portraits of a Prince – Coins Medals and Banknotes of Edward VIII, by Joseph S Giordano Jr, published 2009. A King's Story, The Memoirs of HRH The Duke of Windsor KG, published 1951.
The Latin legends translate as on obverse "Edward the Eighth, by the grace of God, King of all the Britons," and on the reverse as "Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India" with the French language garter motto as "God and my right.".
Ex Richard Lobel Collection, Bowers and Ruddy, Los Angeles, A.N.A. Houston Auction, 21-26th August 1978, lot 2933. Ex Spink Coin Auction 124, 18-19th November 1997, lot Ex Sotheby, 29th June 1998, lot Ex Spink Coin Auction 1261, 15th November 2000, lot 346.