2 Florins - Edward VIII Pattern

Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936 before any coins bearing his effigy entered circulation, making all 1937-dated pieces with his portrait official pattern strikes rather than currency. The Royal Mint had prepared working dies and struck small numbers of proposed denominations for approval — approval that never came. This two-florin pattern in copper is a proof-of-concept piece from that truncated process.

Edward insisted his portrait face left, breaking the centuries-old convention of alternating facing directions between monarchs. George VI, who succeeded him, ultimately faced left as well — the only time the tradition was interrupted in the modern series.