William C. Boyd Collection

These are coins I have acquired that were once part of the William C. Boyd Collection. William Christopher Boyd (1842–1906) was a prominent British numismatist and entomologist whose collection is still highly regarded by collectors today.

The "Victorian" Collector: Boyd was a true 19th-century gentleman scholar. He lived in London and was a partner in his family’s drapery business. He was known to be a cheerful, humorous man who was active in local society, serving as a Justice of the Peace and a Governor of St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

• A "Pro" at Provenance: Collectors love Boyd’s coins today because he was meticulous. He famously kept detailed tickets with his coins that recorded the date of purchase, the dealer he bought them from, and even a secret code representing the price he paid. Because of this, when a coin with a "William C. Boyd" provenance hits the market, it’s often considered a special piece of history.
• The Collection: He built a massive, diverse collection of over 1,500 lots. While he collected everything from British hammered coins and tokens to Scottish and Irish pieces, he had a massive focus on Roman and Celtic coins. He was a dedicated member of the Royal Numismatic Society, serving as their Honorary Treasurer from 1902 until his death.
• Where are they now? After he passed away, his collection stayed in his family for nearly a century. In 2005, the firm A.H. Baldwin & Sons auctioned the entire collection. Since that sale, his coins have been "floating" out in the wild. If you ever see a coin description mentioning "Ex. William C. Boyd collection," it means it was once part of that famous Victorian cabinet!

The provenance of these coins make them extra special to me. I value that old collector’s tickets nearly as much as the coins themselves. It adds a whole new layer of flavor to my enjoyment of the coins. Theses coins come from the William C. Boyd (1840-1906) Collection. Mr. Boyd was a London business man and avid collector. His interests weren't just in coins, but also included butterflies, moths, and Neolithic and Paleolithic stone implements. He was a collector’s collector! He was a member of the Royal Numismatic Society, and was it Treasurer at the time of his death.

When collectors handle ancient coins, we cannot help but feel a connection to the past. Who made it, who spent it, what was it spent on? We can imagine legionnaires, gladiators, and senators handling our coin, the mind boggles! However, when a coin has a recorded provenance, we know for certain who had the coin for a period of time. In these coins 1900+ year journey, I have no idea where they were until the date on Mr. Boyd's ticket, when they magically appears from the past!  Now when I handle these coins, not only do I imagine legionnaires, gladiators and senators, I imagine Mr. Boyd. I can see him in his study, carefully filling out coin tags. I see him pulling trays from his coin cabinet and peering at a coin with a magnifying glass, struggling to make out a legend or other detail. I am the caretaker of a coin he was once caretaker of. The coin spent 1800 years getting to Mr. Boyd, and took a little over 100 years more to find its way to me. From a business man in 19th century London, to a lumber yard manager in 21st Century Michigan. As separated as we are through time, and location, we have this coin in common. Two collectors handling, studying and enjoying the same coin at different times in its journey. Of course I didn't know Mr. Boyd, but perhaps though this coin I can know him a little bit. How cool is that!