Burns Collection

关于此套币: William IV, known to the lads at the Royal Mint as Gulielmus IIII, was a most ordinary king. With his wicked hat head and saggy jowls, he more resembled a bloke leaving the mill at the end of a tough shift than the ruler of an empire. He was not as dissolute as his predecessor or successor kings, George IV and Edward VII, but he did manage to break his arm falling down a flight of stairs in a drunken stupor, and fathered ten illegitimate children. And despite his progressive views on many issues, he was an outspoken anti-abolitionist.

As a specialist in William IV, I found it surprisingly difficult to complete a top notch type set. Copper coins of all denominations are rare in gem or near gem condition, and one must usually settle for a brown coin. It took me years of hunting and begging before I bagged the key coin of the set, the 1837 half farthing. There are a mere handful of uncirculated examples of this single year type certified by the major services, none better than MS63 brown. I was fortunate to obtain an attractive NGC coin and cross it to PCGS.

I am grateful to those who have been a source of coins through private treaty sales and trades. I love to hear from fellow William IV collectors, so feel free to contact me.