Royalty will grace the Heritage Signature Auction in New York City Jan. 8-9.
A prototype 1937 King Edward VIII brass threepence, listed as “Probably Unique” by the cataloger, is expected to highlight the Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers sale.
The coin is listed as “Probably Unique,” by the cataloger.
“This is one of the greatest of all modern British coin rarities,” said Warren Tucker, director of Heritage World Coin Auctions.
“It was struck for the abdicated Edward VIII, who gave up the throne for love and married the American Wallace Simpson. After the much-publicized abdication, the pair became international celebrities as The Duke and Duchess of Windsor. This pattern is so ultra rare that, much as he tried, the Duke never managed to obtain a specimen for his own collection.”
This piece was a prototype for this then-new coinage.
“The final version of the brass pattern [was] struck in tiny numbers for King Edward VIII but abandoned at his abdication,” said Tucker. “This is a major collecting opportunity to own the rarest of the rare, a coin which belongs in a museum as it is a national treasure.”
For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit the Permanent Auction Archives section at Heritage’s Web site, www.HeritageGalleries.com.
To reserve a copy of any Heritage auction catalog, call Nicole Jewell at (800) 872-6467, ext. 272, or visit HeritageGalleries.com to order by email.
