Coverage of the British royal family often focuses on scandals, but can any modern controversy match that of Edward VIII, the king who proved so unpalatable that he was effectively forced off his throne?
A British collectibles company is selling a rare relic of the 1936 Abdication Crisis in the shape of a stamp design that Edward turned down.
Paul Fraser Collectibles are offering the extremely rare Edward VIII accession essay on their website.
An essay is a test print for a design, and this one was suggested for the set of stamps due to be released as Edward came to the throne.
As Paul Fraser Collectibles CEO and stamp expert Mike Hall explains: “When he inherited the throne in January 1936, a series of definitive postage stamps was quickly commissioned.
“The plan was to issue a temporary set of ‘Accession’ stamps ASAP, which would later be replaced by a ‘Coronation’ set.
“But they couldn’t begin work without a portrait that Edward found acceptable.”
“The King’s very individual taste in these matters is becoming apparent,” reads an official memo from the time.
Edward wasn’t happy with this suggested design for his stamps, and its failure to meet his approval makes it a sought-after rarity. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
This essay was made using an old portrait by Royal photographer Bertram Park on a stamp designed by A S Wilmot of the Post Office’s drawing office.
While you might like this design, which Mr Hall describes as “a nice balance of tradition and modernity”, the king hated it and demanded something different.
So this essay was a dead end in the stamp design process and is now extremely rare.
Described by Paul Fraser Collectibles as “a superb unmounted mint essay, with full original gum, perforated and printed in blackish olive on watermarked paper,” the essay is in “exceptional” condition.
And you’ll need £1,500 to add it to your collection.
Edward VIII abdicated on December 11, 1936. Because the events of the time were so extraordinary, many people kept stamps (and newspapers and other ephemera) related to his short reign as mementoes. This means that although Edward VIII stamps were issued for a very short period they are disproportionately likely to have survived. Like Edward himself, they are a paradox.
Mike Hall said: “The essays Edward turned down, however, are much rarer. And for collectors, that’s where the true value lies.
“If your speciality lies in British Empire stamps and postal history, it’s an item you’ll really enjoy adding to your collection. But even more than that, this essay is also a fascinating piece of history, from one of the most famous Royal scandals of all-time.”
Coins are replaced less quickly than stamps, and most Edward VIII cash never got beyond the design stage. An Edward VIII sovereign was sold for over £1 million in 2020 to become the most valuable British coin ever.
