The king’s portrait on the one-year type crowns of Edward VII was designed by George William de Saulles (1862-1903), while the reverse retained the Pistrucci St George and dragon. An interesting comment on the engraver appears in The Times of 26 January 1902: ‘Contrary to some unauthorised rumours, Mr de Saulles is not a foreigner. He is an Englishman, born of English parents in Birmingham.’
Unlike on previous crowns, only one regnal date was used on the whole of the issue for the calendar year. A collector should look to obtain Mint sate or near for the ordinary issue, and FDC for the matt proof. Condition is critical in the case of the proof, as the original mat surface is impaired with even a trace of wear. To the untrained eye, a slightly impaired coin can appear perfect, and a beginner should take any opportunity of inspecting a set of FDC matt proofs, if the occasion arises. Have look at this example on our website.
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