Some of Canada’s greatest numismatic rarities have remained in Canadian hands. This happened when after a staggering five British Columbia (B.C.) patterns changed hands in a million-dollar deal.

At the end of August, Ian Laing of Gatewest Coin Ltd. in Winnipeg, Man., and Sandy Campbell of Proof Positive, from Baddeck, NS, jointly bought a silver $10 and $20 coin, a gold $10 and two gold $20 patterns from Sid and Alicia Belzberg. The Belzberg Canadian collection was noted for having one of everything, patterns included, but excluded the modern era.

The private treaty sale was brokered by Heritage Galleries, who conducted the Belzberg sale in New York City in 2003. With the exception of one of the $20 gold patterns, the B.C. coins were included in that sale, but did not make the reserve. All the patterns are dated 1862.

In mid-September, Tony Mah, of Vancouver Coin and Stamp Ltd., purchased the silver coins, and one of the gold $20 items by private treaty for about $500,000. Read Full Story By Bret Evans