Penny from Fiji

One of the most beautiful and inexpensive coins at the same time: a “penny” from the island of “Fiji” bearing the name of King “Edward VIII”. ”Edward” was the King of Britain and its colonies, the eldest son of ”George V”. He was a young athlete, with high charisma and the love of the masses (unlike his brother who later became King George VI, the father of the current Queen). “Edward” had a relationship with an American woman named “Wallis Simpson”, which was never accepted by either the Cabinet or the aristocracy, as in addition to being a foreigner, she had been divorced twice and her former husbands were alive and in perfect health (it might have been more palatable if she had been a widow, for example).

After fierce and protracted struggles, the young king gambled, relying on the people's love to keep him on the throne. However, the cabinet's decision was firm: "Love or the throne, Your Majesty!" Edward chose love and left Britain altogether, living the rest of his life in France as the Duke of Windsor. His wife became the Duchess of Windsor and always wished to be allowed to use the title "Her Royal Highness." After the war, many rumors circulated about the former king's inclination towards Hitler, and it was said that the latter had promised him the British throne if Britain were defeated. Naturally, the royal family maintained complete silence—at least officially—regarding these claims. Edward VIII's reign was characterized by its brevity; he reigned in January and abdicated in December 1936, a period insufficient to arrange for coins and stamps to be issued in all the colonies. This particular coin is one of the few that were actually issued, and fortunately, it was produced in large quantities, making it accessible to most collectors. The piece shown is from my collection and my photography, it is worth about $4 and my personal rating for it is 63.

Moheb Rizkalla