DNW TO AUCTION RARE EDWARD VIII FANTASY COINS

An extremely rare set of Edward VIII fantasy Crowns presented to a key confidant of the King who guided him through the abdication crisis of 1936 is to be auctioned by Dix Noonan Webb, the international coins, medals and jewellery specialists, in London on 21 March 2016. The six Crowns produced by Geoffrey Hearn in 1954 to commemorate Edward’s brief reign are contained in a magnificent presentation case given to the former King’s private solicitor, Sir George Allen.

The set of Crowns – three in gold and three in silver – passed from Sir George to his long-time secretary and personal assistant, Fairlie Hopkin, and are being auctioned following her death aged 99 in April 2015. Housed in a contemporary maroon fitted leather case, gilt blocked ‘Edward VIII King and Emperor 1936’, they have never been on the market before and are expected to fetch £3,000 to £5,000.

Hearn, a London coin dealer, decided to strike the set of fantasy coins commemorating the short reign of Edward in 1954. Before he embarked on this project, he doubtless had to seek permission from Edward, who became Duke of Windsor following his decision to relinquish the throne and marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. The way to obtain this was to approach Sir George, who had continued to be Edward’s private solicitor and confidant.

Approval was given and Hearn had the presentation cases specially made for a handful of people. It is believed that only two or three were produced to be given to the former monarch’s closest advisers. Sir George, who Edward once described as having “stood like a stone wall during our worst hours” was an obvious candidate toreceive this extremely rare gift. It is possible that the set was given by Hearn to Edward who then passed it on to Sir George.

Although the Hearn coins designed by George Alfred Holman were later minted in greater numbers, the ones to be auctioned at Dix Noonan Webb are rare, not only because of the presentation case, but also because they are of the original type with thick flans struck by the medallists John Pinches. No more than 100 of each of the three gold coins in the set were produced in this first striking. Later restrikes made in the 1960s to satisfy demand from coin collectors have thinner flans.

“The provenance of this set is impeccable, leading directly back to Sir George who was at the heart of the abdication crisis,” says Peter Preston-Morley, coins expert at Dix Noonan Webb. “It was Sir George who persuaded Edward to address the nation directly, helped with the drafting of the abdication speech and advised on the terms of Parliamentary legislation. He and his loyal secretary Miss Hopkin found themselves playing a discreet but crucial role in a drama that gripped the world.”

Dix Noonan Webb will also be auctioning a unique archive of photographs, books and films about Edward and Mrs Simpson collected by Miss Hopkin. This includes a copy of the first official photograph of the couple together, signed by both of them, and a telegram from them to Miss Hopkin expressing condolences

For more information about Dix Noonan Webb, see:
www.dnw.co.uk

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