Thousands of people walk past this postbox in Maidstone's main shopping street every day without noticing anything unusual about it.

But the pillarbox outside the Premier Cellar off-licence in Week Street is an historic gem.

Most post boxes in the town are stamped with the initials EIIR – for Elizabeth the Second Regina.

This box is marked EVIIIR. It was erected during the short reign of Edward VIII

Edward was king for only 326 days in 1936 before abdicating over the scandal of his intention to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson.

During that time only 271 letter boxes were made bearing his initials and only 161 were pillar boxes, the rest being wall boxes or Ludlow boxes at sub-post offices.

Today only 130 of the pillar boxes survive in use, although some are in private collections. They range across the country from Aberdeen to Highcliffe in Dorset, to London.

This one in Week Street is the only survivor in Maidstone, with just one other in Kent, in Nunhead Lane, Ramsgate.