EDWARD V111 RARE COINAGE

No coins bearing Edward V111 effigy were officially issued but some patterns dated 1937 exist and are extremely rare. Because there had been a major design reform of the silver coinage in 1927 it was felt unnecessary to radically alter the reverse designs of the new king’s coins except the crown, sixpence and threepence. The reverse of the crown was used on the same denomination for Edward’s successor George V1.

These coins are dated 1937 and inscribed as follows:

Silver Crown: Crowned royal arms with supporters and the motto DIEU ET MON DROIT on a scroll below. 

Silver Half crown: Royal Arms as a standard flag with a crowned E8 monogram either side. 

Silver Florin: Crowned rose between a thistle and a shamrock, the latter two having the ER below. 

Silver Shilling: Crowned lion holding a sword and scepter seated facing on a crown, with the date split either side, and two small shields showing on one the cross of St Andrew and on the other a thistle. 

Silver sixpence: Six interlocked rings of St Edward. 

Silver threepence:  Three interlocked rings of St Edward.

Nickel- brass 12 sided threepence.  Thrift plant. A few were struck but most melted down. 

Bronze Penny: Figure of Britannia with some slight alterations to the drapery.

Bronze Halfpenny: Golden Hind 

Bronze Farthing: Wren left Head left 

The gold coins:  five pounds, two pounds and a sovereign featured the St George Dragon and dragon design of Pistrucci.

Some coins bearing the king’s name and titles, but not his portrait, were issued for British East Africa, British West Africa, Fiji and New Guinea and these were produced in large numbers bearing the date 1936.