For months, the shops have been full of Diamond Jubilee teapots, biscuit tins, aprons, plates and countless other knick-knacks. Inveterate collectors out there might already be asking themselves: will any of this stuff be worth anything in years to come?
The answer is almost certainly not. For all the marketing hype for 'limited-edition' collectables, the reality is that the vast majority of royal items are little more than junk. So by all means enjoy the moment and indulge yourself - but don't worry too much about knocking a treasured souvenir off the mantelpiece. It won't put a dent in your investment portfolio. Even in mint condition, most modern commemoratives have little value.
Don't be a mug!
Sixty years ago, the royal commemorative market may not have been so commercialised, but pottery was still mass-produced to celebrate the occasion. As royal items are often hoarded, lots of mugs, plates and other items have survived. They may have sentimental value but as investments most have struggled to even keep up with inflation.
Yet there are exceptions. Manufacturing mistakes, one-offs and unexpected historic episodes tend to result in the best royal investments. An example is a large Coronation Coach made by toymaker Lesney Products for the Queen's 1953 coronation. Some early sets came complete with a king as well as queen, because they were originally intended for the Silver Jubilee of King George VI in May 1952 - an event the king did not live to see. Surviving sets are rare, as most had the king cut out before going to the shops. Originals can now fetch £1,000 at auction but cost only £1 new.
Designer Eric Ravilious is the most sought after name for illustrations on 20th century Royal mugs. He was killed in conflict as a war artist in the Second World War but his skills were so admired they were copied for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Because of their unique iconic design, a Ravilious-style coronation mug can fetch £100. Other cups - such as those given out to schoolchildren for the coronation - may fetch £10.
A bad date
A Ravilious Wedgwood cup commemorating the coronation of Edward VIII in 1937 can fetch as much as £600 - because the coronation never took place. Edward VIII became king in January 1936 and should have been crowned in May 1937, but abdicated in December 1936 after Parliament rejected his plan to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Other makes of mugs designed for King Edward VIII can be picked up for £20 but if you find an altered 'abdication' mug it may well fetch £100.
The Ravilious mug was hurriedly redesigned for the coronation of King George VI in 1937, and these can also fetch as much as £500 due to the historic link.
Potters were also caught out at the coronation of Edward VII. This should have taken place in June 1902, but was delayed after the prince suffered appendicitis and almost died. The delay came too late for almost all of the pottery makers, so if you can find a coronation mug for Edward VII with the revised date - August 1902 - it could be worth £180, or double the value of one carrying the original date.
More recently, the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005 had to be postponed a day due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Items bearing the correct wedding date of Saturday 9 April are worth more as rarities, but are still not seen as a great investment - they're worth no more than £30 each.
Queen Elizabeth II is only the second monarch in history to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, the other being Queen Victoria in 1897. The commemorative market took off in the reign of Queen Victoria because few subjects knew what the monarch looked like. A mug on the mantelpiece helped them identify with the queen. Victoria's Diamond Jubilee marked a time of great patriotism in the British Empire, resulting in a glut of mugs. They typically sell for £20 to £100 today.
Artefacts from the start of Victoria's reign are much thinner on the ground. Cups from her coronation in 1838 are rare and the best quality surviving mugs can fetch up to £1,400.
| Royal Souvenir | Then… | Now… |
|---|---|---|
| 1661 King Charles II coronation plate, Handmade English Delft | made to order | £60,000 |
| 1760 King George III coronation plate | unknown | £7,000 |
| 1838 Queen Victoria coronation mug, Staffordshire pottery | unknown | Up to £1,400 |
| 1937 Edward VIII coronation mug, Eric Ravilous Wedgwood | £1 | £600 |
| 1953 Lesney toy Coronation Coach, Large size King and Queen | £1 | £1,000 |
| 1953 Queen Elizabeth Coronation mug | Free at school | £10 |
| 1981 Prince Charles wedding mug, Spitting Image | £2 | £200 |
| 2011 Prince William and Kate Middleton, Slice of their wedding cake | Free | £1,453 |
Austerity's not new
Royal memorabilia can be traced back to the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 when ceremonial pomp was encouraged after 10 years of puritanical austerity under Oliver Cromwell. Hand-made Royal plates by English Delft marking the coronation are extremely rare and can fetch more than £60,000.
It was not until transfer printing for pottery was invented that royal pottery became more widely available. King George III was the first beneficiary and plates for his 1760 coronation can fetch £7,000 a piece.
Although there is a huge array of royalty-related merchandise, mugs are the most in demand for collectors and usually make the best investment. In the 18th and 19th century mugs came in all shapes and sizes, but two-handled loving cups and three-handled friendship 'Tyg' mugs tend to be worth most because they are the easiest to break - and are therefore more rare. Like all collectable Royal pottery, a chip or crack can make an otherwise valuable item worthless.
Doulton earned its Royal seal for its Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee mugs. Other great potters include Minton, Royal Crown Derby, Royal Doulton Wedgwood, Royal Worcester, Coalport, Copeland Spode, Moorcroft, Davenport and Royal Delft.
Humorous one-offs can add to the appeal. A Spitting Image Prince Charles mug costing £2 in 1981 can now fetch £200. The mug is rare as its pottery ears stuck out so much they easily got knocked off - and instantly lost collectable value.
A limited edition 1992 Commemorative 'Annus Horribilis' mug can sell for £50. The mug was wreathed with holly to show what a prickly time the Queen was having - Andrew and Fergie separated, and Windsor Castle caught fire - and came with the Latin phrase she had used to describe her year.
The 1999 wedding of Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones marked a low point in royal interest but still provides appeal for stamp collectors. A perforation machine stopped working for a handful of Royal stamps issued for the occasion - turning 52p stamps into investments worth up to £1,500. Yet this has more to do with an enthusiasm for stamp collecting than an enthusiasm for royalty. The same is true of the value of a 22-carat gold commemorative wedding coin for Prince William and Kate Middleton that soared in value from £1,750 in April 2011 to £3,000 in May 2012 - largely because of the soaring price of gold bullion.
Yet with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - as with other feel-good occasions such as her 1977 Silver Jubilee and the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana - mere patriotism may push up prices across the board. Dealers believe items of real value might be expected to rise by a typical 10 per cent this year with the celebrations also attracting international investors from the Commonwealth and America.
Key to the appeal of investing in royal memorabilia is a genuine interest in the subject. It is important to enjoy collecting and be happy to do the homework with any profits being a bonus. Seek guidance from a specialist dealer before parting with cash. It is better to pay over the odds with an expert than trust to luck with unseen internet deals.
