British Coins from the C.J. Boismason Collection

Colin Boismason

My interest in coins began during my National Service. I had been working in the hospital aboard HMS Cheshire. Our ship was deployed to carry troops back from the Suez Canal Zone. This gave me the opportunity to collect a few coins from each port of call, stretching from Gibraltar to Hong Kong. When decimalisation was introduced, I would search through my loose change in the hope of finding a 1919KN Penny, with minimal results. A 1968 Seaby catalogue fired my enthusiasm further and, from then on, I was an ardent collector. At this time I was living and working in Hertfordshire. There were a number of coin dealers and auctions in my area and I attended them whenever possible. London was just a 30-minute rail journey from my home in Welwyn, and visits to Cutler Street and The Arches were a source of much pleasure. My interest in coins grew and I began to attend auctions at the main London houses, sharing the atmosphere of auction day. Old coin books were another of my fascinations and I gathered together a small library – of little financial value, but very interesting. At 84, I am no longer a collector, but I still enjoy browsing through the monthly magazines and hope that my coins will now give pleasure to a new generation of collectors.