Lot 2334

Description

Great Britain, Edward VIII, unofficial pattern crown, dated 1936, bare head bust left, by Donald R. Golder, proofs in 925 silver, copper and aluminium bronze. FDC. (120)

No coins were officially released into circulation with the portrait of Edward VIII, but the Royal Mint collection holds examples of every Edward VIII denomination planned for Great Britain, from the five pound piece to the farthing (interestingly there was no half sovereign). Contemporary patterns show that the intended silver coinage would have featured new reverse designs which were quite different from those of George V's last coinage, although all were produced by G. Kruger Gray (1880-1943). Kruger Gray uneiled a new reverse for the Edward VIII 1937 crown featuring crowned royal arms, a design which was later adopted for the new coinage of King George VI. This and the following 1936 dated pattern produced recently have a reverse design which is similar to Kruger Gray's but the crowned initials ER appear to the left and right of the royal arms. There are two new obverse types. Type one has FID:DEF in the legend, type two has not. Total mintage 975 sets.