Burns Collection

About This Set: After building this set for two decades, I was delighted to plug the final hole with an 1859 Province of Canada one cent piece. Several factors conspired to make this set a beast to complete in top grade.

First off, there are numerous one-year and two-year types, such as the 1858/59, 1911, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1967, and several commemorative dollars. Trying to fill these pesky holes is more the bailiwick of a date set collector, as the luxury of picking an easy date out of a long series is not available.

Second, the modern coins (George VI and especially Elizabeth II), pose a particular challenge. Many have just a few coins certified by PCGS, and being lower-value coins, these seldom come to market. This has required me to search hundreds of mint rolls for raw gems, and to attempt crossovers from ICCS and NGC. Modern single-year types have been exquisitely difficult.

Finally, completing the set has obliged me to engage with a huge cast of wonderful characters: fellow type collectors of course; experts in provincial coinage (1858/59); copper, silver, nickel, and gold specialists; numismatists who only have eyes for a specific denomination or monarch; and most elusive of all, the deep-pocketed collectors of British Empire sovereigns scattered throughout the world.

I love to trade with fellow collectors, so if you have anything that might upgrade my set, please let me know.