A reward for the recovery of more than $1 million dollars worth of high-end Canadian coins and banknotes, stolen while a Canadian coin dealer was checking into a Toronto-area hotel, has doubled to $200,000.
“I just want my inventory back and I am willing to pay a good reward for its return,” said Joseph Iorio, owner of J&M Coin and Jewellery Ltd.
The theft occurred on Sept. 26, after the Vancouver-based coin dealer arrived at Pearson International Airport to participate in a Toronto coin show later that week.
At about 1 p.m. on Sept. 26, Iorio checked into the Monte Carlo Inn Airport Suites at 7035 Edwards Blvd. in Mississauga.
One of the stolen items is this $5 note issued by the Bank of Hamilton in 1904.
“I drove into the parking lot at the hotel and parked near the lobby entrance,” Iorio told Canadian Coin News.
He locked his vehicle and went inside the hotel to check in. When he returned to his vehicle, two bags were missing from the back seat. They contained a large volume of highly graded collector coins and banknotes.
Iorio said police told him initial surveillance suggests a lone male approached his vehicle and slightly opened the rear passenger door, unbeknownst to the dealer as he was parking his rental vehicle.
“We currently don’t have any suspect information but we are looking into video surveillance in surrounding the area as well as speaking to witnesses,” Const. Baljit Saini, a public information officer for Peel Regional Police, told CCN. “Our 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau is assigned to the investigation and if anyone has any information regarding this is asked to contact Peel Police at 905-453-2121 ext. 1233.”
Another stolen item is this $5 note issued by The Molsons Bank in 1912.
ORIGINAL REWARD DOUBLED
On Sept. 28, J&M announced it was “offering a reward of $100,000 for the return of at least 75 per cent” of the stolen coins and banknotes. A partial list of the stolen items was immediately posted on CCN’s website. The list includes highly graded coins, including numerous one-, five-, 25- and 50-cent pieces, plus silver dollars, Canadian gold coins (including sovereigns), Maritime coins and Canadian tokens.
The list of stolen Canadian paper money includes Newfoundland notes, Dominion of Canada notes (1870-1923), Bank of Canada paper money (1935-date) including Replacement notes, and some very rare chartered banknotes including Bank of Hamilton, Merchants Bank of Canada, Molsons Bank and Bank of Montreal.
This 1882 $5 note issued by the Bank of Montreal is another stolen item.
LIST DISTRIBUTED ACROSS CANADA, U.S.
The list of stolen coins and banknotes has also been distributed by the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers (CAND) to its membership across Canada and the U.S.
The Numismatic Crime Information Center (NCIC) also sent out an email to its members, advising of the J&M theft. NCIC is a non-profit corporation established to coordinate and collaborate initiatives between law enforcement and the numismatic industry in “Targeting Numismatic Crimes Around the World.” For more details, visit numismaticcrimes.org.
One of the stolen coins was this U.S. $20 gold coin issued in 1927.
To view the latest, updated list from J&M of the missing coins and banknotes, click here for the PDF.
For more details or to provide information leading to the recovery of the missing items, please call Iorio toll-free at 1-888-244-9999.