Rare coin of King Edward VIII sells for record £1 million
The 22-carat gold coin is one of the trial sets that were never released to the public due to the King’s abdication
The Royal Mint, which produces the UK's coins, said it has sold a rare coin featuring King Edward VIII for a record £1 million to a private collector, reports CNN.
The present Queen's uncle, King Edward VIII, had reigned as the sovereign of the United Kingdom for a little less than a year before abdicating in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, famously saying, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love."
The 22-carat gold coin is famous for its design, which had the then new King breaking tradition to face the same way as his predecessor.
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It was one of a small collection of trial sets that never got to be released due to the abdication, according to a report by the Guardian.
Of the six that were made for the trial set, this is one of two in private ownership. The rest are in museums, informed The Royal Mint.
The previous owner had bought it for £516,000 in an auction back in 2014, according to CNN.
