John Sturgis

How a royal disagreement over a penny revealed Edward VIII’s vanity

  • From Spectator Life
The Edward VIII penny (On auction with Baldwin's via Showpiece)

A rare penny piece goes on sale this month for 20 million times its face value – quite the mark up.

But it’s the backstory to the coin’s creation that is arguably the most interesting aspect of the sale – because of the insight it gives into the frosty relationship between George VI and Edward, whose sudden abdication put his brother on the throne.

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Written by
John Sturgis

John Sturgis is a freelance journalist who has worked across Fleet Street for almost 30 years as both reporter and news editor

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