Death of Thomas Coats, 1883, a bronze medal by N. McPhail, bust left, rev. view of Paisley Observatory, 49mm (BHM 3147; E 1698). Extremely fine and very rare £70-£90

Thomas Coats (1809-83) managed one of the largest thread manufacturing companies in the world. His home town of Paisley enjoyed the benefits of his wealth and generosity, including the establishment of the Observatory in 1882. His collection of coins and medals, which formed the basis of Edward Burns’ Coinage of Scotland, was presented to the Hunterian Museum by the Coats family in 1921