An incredibly rare coin bearing the likeness of King Edward VIII which was made before he famously abdicated his throne has emerged for sale for £30,000.

The 12-sided coin, worth just threepence when it was made, was an experimental piece produced by the Royal Mint after the death of King George V.

Edward automatically succeeded his father but abdicated before his coronation so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

While commemorative Royal China was mass-produced to honour the new King, hardly any coins with his head on were created.

The piece now for sale was one of no more than 10 brass pattern threepence coins produced by the Mint.

The reverse has an emblem of a thrift plant and the date of 1937. Edward abdicated in December 1936 and was succeeded by his brother, King George VI.

The coin has been owned by a private collector of historic British coins for the last 20 years and he has now decided to sell it at auction.

'Edward was effectively King for a year and the Mint was a bit late in producing these coins, probably because they were experimenting with radical, art deco shapes like this one.

'This is coming from a private collector who has spent 25 years forming a large collection of English coins dating back to the 16th century.

To read the complete article, see:Thrupenny bit bearing the head of King Edward VIII before he abdicated his throne to marry Wallis Simpson on sale for £30,000(www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2423152/King-Edward-VIII-Thrupenny-issued-abdication-sale-30-000.html)