British and World Coins from the Collection of William N. Clarke

William N. Clarke

On Christmas Day in 1956, seventeen-year- old William N. Clarke received one of his most-cherished coins, a 1788 George V ‘laurel head’ portrait gold piece, as a gift from his parents. It cost £50, an astronomical sum for his family at the time. “I don’t know how dad convinced my mother to spend that kind of money,” he used to say. “She was very tight with the purse-strings.” This coin, for now, is a family heirloom.

My dad was already a ‘seasoned collector’ by the time he received this coin. In 1951, he won first prize at the London (Ontario) Hobby Fair in the coins and medals youth category (in 1952, he placed second). A few years later, in 1955, he became the youngest member of the London Numismatic Society (LNS), eventually being elected to several positions, including Editor of the monthly club newsletter - which won several awards from the Canadian society whileunder his management - Secretary, Vice-President, and President. In 2016, he was named the LNS’s first Honourary President in recognition of his long- standing commitment to the club and his dedication to numismatics. My...