Long-time Ontario numismatist Bill English will celebrate his 100th birthday at a coin show this weekend in Paris, Ont.
English, whose birthday is on Feb. 4, played an instrumental role in founding the Waterloo Coin Society (WCS) more than six decades ago in 1959. He served as its inaugural president, a role to which he returned in 1970. In 1962, English also helped form the Ontario Numismatic Association (ONA).
English remains an active member of both organizations.
English signs the Waterloo Coin Society’s recently issued souvenir banknote featuring his image.
On Feb. 5, the ONA and the English family are slated to host a birthday celebration for the decades-long collector in conjunction with the Paris Coin Show, taking place that day in Paris, Ont., about 45 kilometres west of Hamilton.
“Bill has received a lot of attention over the last year or so,” said ONA President Sean Sinclair, who also authors CCN’s “Commonwealth Commemoratives” column.
Last year, the ONA featured English on its 60th anniversary convention medal, and this January, the WCS included him on one of two souvenir treasury notes (“Waterloo club unveils souvenir banknote set,” CCN Vol. 60 #23, Feb. 14, 2023).
2 Comments
Congratulations Bill on celebrating your 100 th. Birthday (1923-2023) and with many more to come. What I found most interesting in the CCN article was that I lived in Ontario (Base Borden) in 1962 and started collecting that year when I found a 1948 dime in my change at age 12yrs.( of which I still own) And you as a founding member of the O.N.A. Your contributions to the hobby are well deserved by all collectors and I just want to thank you for all your hard work and efforts on behalf of all collectors across Canada!!!!
A rare milestone indeed. Bill is a true gentleman and has been taking it all in stride like a man half his age!