The #1 Collection of King George V Canadian Cents is scheduled to be auctioned by GreatCollections in February. The Stewart Blay Collection was formed over the past 30 years and is ranked atop the PCGS Set Registry for Business Strikes as well as Specimens.
In the Business Strikes set, a staggering 13 of the 17 coins are either the single finest graded, or tied-for-finest at PCGS. It has a Set Registry ranking of 67.62. Its counterpart, the Specimen set has 9 of the 12 coins either single finest graded or tied-for-finest with a Set Registry ranking of 67.54. The pedigrees are numerous, including Norweb, Belzberg, Pittman and Cook.
The owner, Stewart Blay, painstakingly purchased each coin one at a time by attending coin shows around the country and hunting down the best of the best. He attended major auctions in Canada, and recalls one such auction where he bought almost every Canadian small cent on offer.
"Stewart is extremely well known in the U.S. numismatic community for the finest Lincoln Cent and other copper collections ever formed, however, few knew he also focused on Canadian small cents for the past 30 years. All are graded by PCGS and most still reside in the old-style holders, graded in the 1990s and early 2000s" said Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections.
Russell continued "It’s almost unheard of to have 75% of a series in finest known (or tied-for-finest), and even those coins not graded numerically as the finest, the coins have amazing eye appeal and appear conservatively graded. Stewart is a connoisseur for quality."
GreatCollections is also auctioning Blay’s Lincoln Cent Collection over three auctions in January. Five of the Lincoln Cents are already bid to over $100,000 each, including the 1958 Doubled Die, currently bid at $323,000.
In addition to the Canadian King George V Small Cents, there are sets of King George VI in Business Strike & Specimen, Queen Elizabeth highlights and even Large Cents from the 19th century.
The Stewart Blay Canadian Collection will be sold unreserved over two weeks of auctions on February 5th and 12th.
Highlights from the Stewart Blay Collection of Canadian Small Cents
King George V Business Strikes — Finest Known or Tied for Finest
- Canada 1921 KGV Cent PCGS MS-64 RD
- Canada 1922 KGV Cent PCGS MS-64 RD
- Canada 1923 KGV Cent PCGS MS-64 RD
- Canada 1925 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1926 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1927 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1928 KGV Cent PCGS MS-66 RD
- Canada 1929 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1930 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1932 KGV Cent PCGS MS-65 RD
- Canada 1934 KGV Cent PCGS MS-66 RD
- Canada 1935 KGV Cent PCGS MS-66 RD
- Canada 1936 KGV Cent PCGS MS-66 RD
King George V Specimens — Finest Known or Tied for Finest
- Canada 1921 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RD
- Canada 1922 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-64 RB
- Canada 1923 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-67 RB
- Canada 1924 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RD
- Canada 1925 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-64 RD
- Canada 1926 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RD
- Canada 1927 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RB
- Canada 1928 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RD
- Canada 1931 KGV Cent PCGS Specimen-66 RD
King George VI Specimens
- Canada 1944 KGVI Cent PCGS Specimen-64 RD
- Canada 1945 KGVI Cent PCGS Specimen-64 BN
- Canada 1948 KGVI Cent PCGS Specimen-66 RD
Queen Elizabeth II Specimens
- Canada 1950 QEII Cent PCGS Specimen-65 RD
- Canada 1953 QEII Cent No Shoulder Strap PCGS Specimen-67 RD
Aside from being on view at the NY International Numismatic Convention (NYINC) on January 12-15 and Long Beach Coin Expo on February 1-4, the Stewart Blay Collection of Canadian Cents is available to view at the Irvine, California headquarters of GreatCollections by appointment. To view high quality images and register to bid visit www.greatcollections.com or call 1-800-442-6467.
About GreatCollections
GreatCollections, the official auction house of the American Numismatic Association, specializes in auctioning certified coins and banknotes, handling transactions from start to finish. Since its founding in 2010, GreatCollections has successfully auctioned over 1 million certified coins, making it one of the leading certified coin companies in the United States with annual sales in 2022 exceeding $270 million. Ian Russell, owner/president of GreatCollections, is a member of the prestigious Professional Numismatists Guild and member of the National Auctioneers Association. For more information about GreatCollections, visit www.greatcollections.com or call 800-442-6467.
The 1953 NSF should attract a lot of attention.
I have no familiarity with that Canadian Cent. What’s the specific appeal, Antonio?
No Shoulder Fold (NSF) are scarcer than Shoulder Fold (SF) in the first years of Canadian coins for Queen Elizabeth. Apparently, the die wore down and the fold is not visible. They’re more sought after. It’s only apparent on uncirculated and specimen coins.
Thanks for the explanation, Antonio; I knew you’d come through! I’ve always liked Canadian cents of any generation; there’s just something about them that gives them a less ordinary/more than usual appeal.