The Coronation Puzzle

Circular ball puzzle with glass cover and tinplate frame. Beneath the glass are embossed colour lithographed portraits of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in their coronation robes. In the crown of the King are four holes, in that of the Queen three holes. The object of the game is to place the 7 white metal balls into the seven holes pressed into the card at the same time. The game is titled 'The Coronation Puzzle Rd No 375054' and was probably manufactured in Germany. On the reverse of the frame is inserted a mirror. The game was purchased by Ernest King for one penny (1d) from a street trader in the Ludgate Hill area of London on the24th August 1901 nearly a year before the planned Coronation of 1902. Although this was the first of many Coronation souvenirs to be purchased by him in the lead up to the Coronation he did not, however, purchase a second souvenir until January 1902. Between 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.