The Collection of British Hammered Coins formed by William H. Pheatt of Arizona, USA

William H Pheatt

Born in Detroit, Bill Pheatt has had a lifetime connection with the motor industry, which he has combined with a love for numismatics-both coins and paper money.

His collecting days, however, started with British Colonial stamps. From these, he progressed to British Colonial coins in 1963 (his collection of these since dispersed), and then into the British series per se, concentrating on the hammered issues.

Initial acquisitions in the mid-1960s were mostly made from the London dealers Spink and Seaby, from the Louisiana dealer Dave Hess, and from coin shows in the U.S.A. The collection flourished with coins bought from a wide range of sources through the 1970s and 1980s, and the final purchases were made in the summer of 1992.

In preparing the catalogue, acquisition details (and source if known) are given for every coin. Time has prevented any more than a cursory check of previous ownership, and specialists in the different series will no doubt be able to take some of the quoted pedigrees back further. With this in mind, as much as is economical has been illustrated for the record.

This first part of the collection covers the period from Celtic times until Edward I's recoinage in 1279, along with Scottish and Irish issues. The balance of the English series, 1279-1662, plus Anglo-Gallic and other miscellanea, will be offered at auction later this year.

Many British numismatists will already be aware of Mr Pheatt's activities in the banknote arena, and the fact that he chose to auction his collection of British Colonial banknotes here in London on 2 October 1986. In again choosing London as the venue to sell his British coins, he reinforces the continuing importance of our capital city as a numismatic centre.

P J Preston-Morley