A momento of a coronation that never took place. With the death of his father King George V on 20 January 1936, the Prince of Wales ascended the throne to become King Edward VIII. It would become the shortest reign of any UK monarch of just 326 days as he abdicated due to his relationship with American divorcee Wallis Simpson, his brother King George VI would became monarch. The planned coronation would have taken place on 12 May 1937. In preparation for the big day souvenirs were produced in advance by the thousands. Due to the abdication in early December only a small volume of the souvenirs had been sold the rest were either unissued or destroyed. So although not ultra rare it is an interesting piece of British 20th Century history. This particular item, a ceramic dish with scalloped sides is in very good condition for it's age. The decoration is simple. A coloured transfer of royal regalia and a sepia photograph of the king in the centre is on the inside and a hand painted blue stripe around the rim. On the base is the maker's registered mark. There is one small, old chip to the underside of the rim which is hardly noticable. A great piece commemorating a unique year in British history. A nice item for a collector of royal memorabilia, or as part of a period display or as a prop in a production.

Date: 1937
Maker: J & G Meakin
Made in England

Dimensions: 12cm x 12cm x 2.5cm