NOONANS TO SELL THE GARY ODDIE COLLECTION OF ENGLISH REGAL SHILLINGS

Noonans are to sell the extremely important collection of shillings formed over 46 years by Dr Gary Oddie (1965-2025) in an auction on Thursday, September 17, 2026. This catalogue, the first of several to feature pieces from Gary’s vast collection, includes his English regal shillings – 602 pieces spanning the reigns from Henry VII to Charles III. Comprising 429 lots, the collection in this sale is estimated to realise over £350,000.

Gary Oddie was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, on 23 January 1965, he then studied physics at the University of York from 1983 to 1986. A spell of teacher training at Keele University in 1986 presaged the completion of his DPhil studies at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, in ‘The characterisation of two component (liquid) flows using scattered ultrasound’ between 1987 and 1991. He spent his adult life working within the area of scientific research, and in particular fluid dynamics and flow.
As Peter Preston-Morley, Special Projects Director (Numismatics) at Noonans explains: “Although English silver shillings were his prime collecting passion, Gary’s interest in the denomination soon spread across the sea to Ireland, to overseas territories, to silver and other local tokens, even to paper money and postal orders – anywhere that the shilling had been a recognised form of monetary exchange.”
He continues: “Gary’s great passion in life started as a child around the age of eight, when he was introduced to coins, although the survival of a letter to the family from Robert Sharman at Seaby’s, dated 14 March 1969, which related to a modern penny that had been acid-washed, demonstrates an earlier family interest in numismatics. Frequently visiting Jim Bridgeman’s coin shop in Blackburn Road, Accrington, to spend his pocket money, one day in 1978 Jim showed him a 1736 George II shilling in nice condition – and Gary never looked back. He leaves a numismatic legacy that will be hard to surpass.”

Among the highlights of the sale is a 1736 shilling, which Gary exchanged his entire schoolboy collection for and that started a passion for collecting shillings which never left him. This is estimated at £120-150 [lot 218].

However, the shilling that was Gary’s pride and joy was the Duke of Devonshire’s specimen of David Ramage’s 1651 pattern, which is estimated at £30,000-50,000 [lot 132], while an extremely rare Cromwell Shilling struck by Johann Sigismund Tanner for Richard Arundell, Master of the Mint, in 1738 carries an estimate of £15,000-20,000 [lot 144].

Elsewhere, a celebrated ‘Dorrien and Magens’ Shilling from 1798 is expected to fetch £15,000-20,000 [lot 245], and Herbert Lingford’s Carlisle siege issue shilling from the reign of Charles I (1625-1649) dating from 1645, is estimated at £10,000-15,000 [lot 126].

An active member and contributor to many different coin forums, writing and presenting at multiple conferences over the years, Gary became an internationally recognised expert and advisor on many topics. His enthusiasm for numismatics was boundless and infectious – if you had an issue or a query, he was immediately on a mission to research it and did not give up until it was resolved. This was often then swiftly followed by an article or a blog, to share with everyone. Away from coins, he enjoyed playing Scrabble and quizzing, even though most who played against him knew in advance to expect to come out on the losing side. His wicked sense of humour was well known to those he counted as family, work colleagues, fellow hobbyists or friends. His home was always welcoming and many a numismatist made a pilgrimage to St Neots to see him, talk coins or tokens, examine items from his wonderful collection, consult volumes from his vast numismatic library – and enjoy the hospitality provided six days a week by the fish and chip shop directly across the road from his house. Though a scientist by training, Gary was no staid academic wearing a tweed jacket with elbow patches; indeed, he was usually seen sporting a shirt from his ‘black’ wardrobe featuring his beloved heavy metal rock band AC/DC, with wild, unkempt hair sticking out at all angles.