Walter Allan’s car has been found by police, however, the 84-year-old Tobermory man remains missing.
A red 2007 Ford Focus ZXW registered to the Allan was found in a rural area near Saint Barthelemy, Qué., on Monday. Québec’s provincial police force, the Sûreté du Québec, is engaged in a missing person investigation.
Allan’s family told police they last heard from him on July 18, when he told them he was heading to the 2017 convention of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) in Boucherville, Qué., held July 18-23.
Allan told family he would return July 23; however, RCNA show organizers say Allan didn’t make it to the convention.
On Aug. 11, The Montreal Gazette reported Allan was sighted on July 21 in Ste-Brigide-d’Iberville, Qué., which is about 60 kilometres outside of Montreal.
Allan is an avid collector of paper money and coins and an active member of the Canadian Paper Money Society (CPMS).
“He’s a very prominent numismatist and very well known for decades,” said RCNA Executive Director Paul Johnson.
On Canadian Coin News’ Facebook page, Graham Neale shared the sentiments of many calling Allan’s disappearance “so worrying”.
Set of catalogues from auctions in the 1970s featuring the legendary collection of paper money belonging to collector Walter Allan.
“I first met Walter around 1975,” he writes. “His legendary paper money collection was sold at auction between 1972 and 1974.”
Neale also shared an image showing a collage of the auction catalogues for the legendary collection.
According to police, Allan suffers from Parkinson’s disease and is suspended from driving. He’s described as having a white complexion, a height of 5 feet 8 inches with a thin build and a weight of 150-160 pounds. He has white hair and a full white beard.
Police are asking anyone with information as to his whereabouts to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure tip online at cstip.ca, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.