Collector Spotlight: Cole & David Lawrence

Just imagine what was under Cole Lawrence’s Christmas tree growing up! Often, they were gifts of coins from the Royal Canadian Mint. “The earliest I can remember would be around the age of seven or eight getting a $20 for $20 half-ounce silver commemorative coin as a Christmas present,” remarks the avid Canadian coin collector introduced to the hobby through his uncle. “This sparked my interest in coins, and I often helped him sort through change while looking for commemoratives and silver.”

During his high school years his interests shifted more to stacking silver coins, and some of his favorite pieces became Canadian silver dollars. “The major piece was a 1949 Dollar, of which my mother had been given by her grandparents [and] she gifted to me,” he recalls. “Being introduced to that coin, I soon was asking for more old coins, and for my birthday one year later I was given my second dollar, from 1939.”

Why collect coins from Canada? The Canadian admits he is “very biased, of course,” but points to the diverse and artistic designs on his native nation’s coinage. “I would argue that Canadian coinage has some of the most beautiful modern reverse designs, and the older wreath-style reverses and regal busts are incredibly attractive in all formats. The mix of overall eye appeal and beauty with the rich history and my nationality have made it a series I cannot justify not collecting.” Among his favorite pieces are coins from the Victorian era, which stretched from the beginning of Canadian coinage in the 1850s and 1860s through 1901, the end of Queen Victoria’s long tenure on the British throne that began in 1837.

Cole’s numismatic adventures eventually led him to collecting PCGS-graded coins and joining the PCGS Set Registry with his father, David, in mid-2020. “It's really amazing, having the competition between us to get the best coins for our sets has made the constant hunt for the next piece for our set exhilarating.” Cole and his dad proudly helm the Lawrence Family Collection, a diverse virtual cabinet on the PCGS Set Registry that includes a wide range of the father-son duo’s favorite pieces, including 1858-dated silver specimens and a run of high-end Queen Elizabeth II proof coinage.

However, there are still some pieces Cole and his father have yet to check off their ultimate want list, not to mention the Canadian 1911-12 Specimen Set. “Our fascination with this incredible set started when I acquired one of the original cases in which this set would have been presented. Considered one of the most iconic specimen sets in all of Canadian numismatics, it’s often compared to the King of Siam Proof Set,” remarks Cole, pointing to the diplomatic United States gift bestowed to King Ph’ra Nang Klao (Rama III) in Siam in around 1836 and including the famous 1804 Draped Bust Dollar.

Perhaps these are items the two will someday add to their Lawrence Family Collection, which can be viewed at https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/lawrence-family/othersets/92784. “One of my favorite features of the PCGS Set Registry is actually exploring the registries of other collectors!” He loves being able to discover – or rediscover – coins that fellow collectors have in their Registry Sets. He adds, “With the Set Registry, rediscovering where these pieces end up helps foster my own personal collection goals and aspirations.”