Charm, souvenir bracelet charm

Souvenir bracelet charm issued to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The charm is in the form of a gilt metal and red photograph album enclosing a sheet of folded paper printed with six black and white portraits depicting the King and Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Edward of York and Queen Victoria. The front of the charm is marked 'souvenir' and has a ring for attachment to a bracelet or chain. This coronation souvenir was purchased by Ernest King for one penny (1d) from a London street trader on the 27th March 1902.
King purchased his first coronation souvenir in August 1901, nearly a year before the ceremony took place. However, he did not purchase a second souvenir until January 1902 and between this date and the original coronation date of 26th June 1902 the steady rise in his purchases indicates that the range and variety of souvenirs sold by street traders gradually increased over these months reaching a peak on 25th June. Although the Coronation was delayed until August due to the King being struck down with appendicitis on 24th June Ernest King only purchased one coronation souvenir after the 25th June. This suggests that manufacturers stopped producing souvenirs after June presumably assuming Londoner's enthusiasm for souvenirs and the coronation had reached a peak by this point.