Who produces fantasy Australian proof coins e.g. 1937 Edward VIII silver sixpence?

Answer 1

A "fantasy" coin is one that is struck on dies that were never used to produce legal tender "issued" coins such as any Australian Edward VIII coin, or dies that were never approved for use, such as the square Penny.

In the case of Australian Edward VIII coins, only pattern versions of the Penny, Threepence, Shilling and Florin were ever prepared for 1937, and in all cases, the image of Edward VIII was removed making them a "uniface" coin, and on the Penny, the word "MODEL" was stamped on the obverse.

There is no information available that suggests Australian Edward VIII fantasy coins, or genuine coins for that matter, actually exist. The dies for these coins were produced by the Royal Mint London, and they make no reference to them.

A "facsimile" coin is an exact copy of a coin that should have some wording or marking on it indicating that the coin is not the genuine article. It is not unreasonable to expect that there may be Australian Edward VIII "facsimile" coins available.

The line between facsimile coins and outright forgery is sometimes a little blurred, but since an Australian Edward VIII would obviously be a forgery, it is a moot point.

The Royal Australian Mint has a strict policy on the use of Australian coin designs for any purpose, accompanied by severe penalties. Also, there is the matter of copyright on all coin designs since 1969.

In the absence of any available useful information on the subject, I suggest you speak to a reputable coin dealer.