Ross Dennis King, a longtime Ontario coin dealer, collector and numismatic educator whose passion for coins began with a childhood discovery on the family farm, died Wednesday, Oct. 28, surrounded by family. He was 82.
A resident of Chesley, Ont., Ross was a familiar face at coin shows across the province for decades, building a reputation as a specialist in British and foreign coinage while sharing his knowledge with collectors, students and fellow dealers. He established Ross D. King Coins in May 1982 and operated the business for nearly four decades before selling his dealer inventory in 2020.
Born in Welland, Ont., Ross grew up on a farm in Egremont Township, near Mount Forest, where his interest in numismatics began in 1954.
While helping his mother in the family garden, the 10-year-old discovered an 1852 Bank of Upper Canada penny — a find which sparked a lifelong fascination with coins.
In a profile published in the May/June 2002 issue of The Ontario Numismatist, Ross recalled regularly visiting banks in Mount Forest during his school years to exchange rolls of coins, hoping to discover older Canadian issues.
“In those days — the ‘good old days’ — you could still find Vicky and Edward silver coins in quantity,” he recalled.
His collecting interests expanded during high school following an unusual encounter with an older resident who learned of his interest in coins and invited him to examine several baskets filled with foreign coins. The experience introduced Ross to world coinage and eventually led him toward the specialty which would define much of his collecting and business career.
Ross graduated from Waterloo Lutheran University, now Wilfrid Laurier University, with a degree in English and history before pursuing a career in education. He taught high school English and physical education, eventually becoming an English department head. Outside the classroom, he coached several sports, including basketball, badminton, soccer, volleyball and track and field, while also directing a choir and school musical productions.
In an autobiographical account prepared for British auction house Dix Noonan Webb in 2021, Ross described teaching high school English as a profession he thoroughly enjoyed. His teaching responsibilities and growing family left little time for collecting during the early years of his career.
Ross married Dianne Mannerow in 1970, and the couple welcomed their son Scott in 1973 and daughter Lisa in 1977. His interest in numismatics returned in earnest in 1979, following two developments which would help shape his future in the hobby.
The first came when Angus Sutherland, a Presbyterian minister in Chesley, learned of Ross’s collection of foreign coins and offered to purchase some of the material.
“Once he saw the accumulation received from the gentleman from Mount Forest, he made an offer that I couldn’t refuse, thus leading to the discovery that people will actually pay money for this stuff,” Ross recalled in the 2002 profile.
The second came when Ross discovered British coinage and became fascinated by the history reflected in coins issued under successive monarchs. He sold his Canadian collection to fellow dealer Bob Armstrong and began concentrating on British coins, a specialty which would eventually define his collecting and business career.
His growing interest coincided with the silver boom of 1980, when he became involved in the Chesley Numismatic Investment Group, an investment venture involving relatives and other investors. Following the collapse of the silver market, Ross recognized an opportunity to establish a dealership specializing in material which was not widely available through Canadian dealers.
Ross and his wife, Dianne, at the 2008 Canadian Numismatic Association (CNA) convention in Ottawa, where he operated a booth under Ross King Numismatics. (Photo by Dan Gosling)
Ross D. King Coins was launched in May 1982, initially as a part-time operation alongside his teaching career.
The business gradually developed a following among collectors of British and foreign coins, although Ross also maintained an inventory of Canadian numismatic material. Following his retirement from teaching, he devoted more time to the business, attending between 25 and 30 coin shows annually and distributing mail-order lists to customers across Canada and internationally.
By 2002, his customers included collectors as far away as Australia and Japan.
The profile in The Ontario Numismatist, published under the headline “The ‘King’ of Ontario Bourse Dealers,” recognized his contributions to the hobby beyond buying and selling coins.
Ross wrote articles for Canadian Coin News and local newspapers, appeared on radio programs, addressed service organizations and school classes, and taught evening courses on numismatics. He was also a member of the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers, Ontario Numismatic Association, Royal Canadian Numismatic Association and American Numismatic Association.
The 2002 ONA profile described Ross as someone who particularly enjoyed meeting collectors at shows and appreciated their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences. His enthusiasm for the hobby was also evident in his personal collection of British coins and medals, which reflected his longstanding interest in British history and the monarchy.
Over several decades, Ross assembled a portrait type collection representing British kings and queens from 1066 to 1970, beginning with hammered pennies before expanding into groats and shillings. His collection included varieties of several monarchs, particularly George III and Queen Victoria.
The reign of George III became a particular focus, reflecting Ross’s interest in the political, military and technological developments which shaped the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In his 2021 autobiographical account, Ross recalled how events including the American Revolution, French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812 contributed to his fascination with the period.
He was particularly interested in the Industrial Revolution and its impact on coin production, including the introduction of steam-powered presses which transformed British minting. The unusual coinage of George III, including Bank of England denominations, countermarked Spanish eight reales, proofs, patterns, medals and 18th- and 19th-century merchant tokens, held his attention for many years.
After nearly seven decades of collecting, Ross decided it was time to disperse his holdings.
A 1761 George III gold guinea from the Ross King Collection of British Coins realized £6,500 at a United Kingdom auction in April 2021. Auctioneers described the coin as “very fine, very rare.” (Photo courtesy of Noonans)
In April 2021, a selection of 67 lots from the Ross King Collection of British Coins was offered by Dix Noonan Webb in the United Kingdom. The sale attracted attention from collectors of British numismatics and was featured in Canadian Coin News. In his introduction to the 2021 auction, Ross reflected on his collecting journey and expressed satisfaction in seeing another generation of his family take an interest in numismatics.
“Even so, I am pleased that my grandchildren are interested in collecting coins, just like their ‘Pa’,” he wrote.
Those words took on added significance the following year.
Ross’s enthusiasm for numismatics extended to his grandchildren, particularly Elliott, who developed an early interest in his grandfather’s collection.
In an email to Canadian Coin News in 2022, Ross recalled how eight-year-old Elliott would frequently admire his coins and make what he described as “not so subtle suggestions about getting grandpa’s collection in the future!”
That summer, while exploring the cliffs along the Lake Huron shoreline near Goderich, Ont., Elliott spotted something in the sand. He picked it up and discovered an 1858 Canadian large cent. Ross was delighted by the discovery, particularly when he explained to Elliott the coin’s numismatic significance.
The find was featured in an October 2022 Canadian Coin News story, which drew parallels between Elliott’s discovery and Ross’s own introduction to coin collecting.
In 1954, at age 10, Ross had discovered an 1852 Bank of Upper Canada penny while digging in the garden on the family farm in Egremont Township, Grey County. The discovery sparked a collecting interest which would last nearly seven decades. In his email to CCN editor Mike Walsh, Ross expressed hope Elliott’s discovery might inspire a similar lifelong interest in numismatics.
“Perhaps Elliott’s discovery will do the same and encourage him to follow in his grandpa’s footsteps,” he wrote.
It was a fitting reflection from a grandfather who had spent much of his life collecting, studying and sharing his knowledge of coins.
Ross is survived by his wife, Dianne; son Scott (Diane Parkes) of London; daughter Lisa King (Ryan Denomy) of Chesley and Ottawa; and grandchildren Sadie, Elliott and Charlie. He will also be remembered by his former son-in-law, Jordan McConnery, and the Mannerow family. He was predeceased by his parents, Eldred and Helen (Austin) King.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home in Chesley on Monday, Nov. 2, from 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 10–10:45 a.m. A funeral service honouring his life will follow Tuesday at 11 a.m., with interment in Chesley Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations to the Chesley Hospital Foundation, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Grey Bruce Hospice (Chapman House) or Saugeen Hospice.
For a more personal look at Ross King’s life beyond numismatics, read his full obituary, which celebrates his family, career and many contributions to his community.