This coin is so valuable because it represents a tumultuous time in British royal history. When Edward VIII ascended the throne in January of 1936, new coins were designed to his specifications. Edward rebelliously chose to have his profile facing the same direction as his father had in the previous coin design, despite the tradition of alternating the direction of the profile for each ruler. The mint cast proofs of these coins, but they were never issued for circulation because Edward VIII abdicated the throne less than a year after taking it so he could marry his divorced lover, Wallis Simpson.
A proof of the 1937 5-pound coin