Object of the Day: A Unique Mug from the Coronation of King George VI, 1937

As you all know, I have a lot of mugs and other bits of Royal memorabilia commemorating coronations and jubilees. But, I’ve never seen a mug like this recent addition to my collection.

Made for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), this large mug features a bas relief portrait in profile of the King and Queen. The reverse of the mug shows a bas relief of the State Crown. This mug was produced by Crown Devon in 1937.

What I find interesting about this is the fact that all of the coronation souvenirs for the 1937 coronation were made in something of a hurry. Since the coronation was originally meant to be Edward VIII and not his brother, manufacturers spent a great deal of time and expense creating mementos with the likeness of Edward. But, Edward messed that up with the whole, as I like to call it, “Abdication Kerfuffle.” So, all of those items had to be scrapped. I think this is a very clever souvenir and was most likely time consuming to produce, especially considering that it had to be made in a hurry when it was learned George VI would be crowned and not Edward VIII. In light of that, I find it all the more exceptional.