Bay View Collection : Signature Sales

Like many coin collectors Paul enjoyed collecting stamps and coins at a young age, eagerly looking through piles of change for pre 1920 silver, the H ,KN and of course the bun pennies.

Several careers later and after having indulged his passion for vintage motorcycles, he moved to Cornwall. It was here where he had the opportunity to take his hobby more seriously. The majority of his collection was assembled the old fashioned way working from lists. Business was conducted by letters and telephone calls with trusted dealers.

Paul had a love of history all his life. It was one of the few subjects that he really enjoyed at school. Passion for history and his love of coins and medals fused to become the driving force of a collection which was remarkable in its breadth and quality. His research along a branch of history created the interest in collecting something tangible from that era and exploring further the history around that coinage.

His collection ranged from the pre Roman civilisations of the Middle East, through the Roman era and then into our own history. Indeed Britain was his main focus, from early hammered medieval coinage, through to the high quality milled coins up until decimalisation. He also researched Britain's influence on coinage used throughout the Empire. The coins were complimented by a comprehensive collection of medallions and medals which more specifically evidenced an event or era. Small nuggets of information were scattered about the collection on scraps of paper, ready to explore another avenue or topic.

Paul appreciated the fine artistry of coin designers, dies and medals. He possessed great knowledge of how our coinage was developed, the materials used and the processes employed from design to mint. He was always pleased to talk about his collection with those fortunate enough to visit, be it the coinage or the events in history which influenced it. There is no doubt the coins were a source of enormous pride and pleasure.