Hi everyone,
Just thought I would post some information here about the Balasiuk collection, as well as information about the collector and the upcoming sale. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or want additional information!
Website:
https://www.stgeorgecoins.com/Information about the collector & upcoming sale:
https://www.stgeorgecoins.com/the-b...-collection/Instagram page where more frequent updates will be posted:
https://www.instagram.com/st_george_coins/Promotional clip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtX6mS0t8Id/------------------------------------------------------------------
The Balasiuk Collection features a wide range of Canadian numismatics that once belonged to Walter "Wally" Balasiuk, a lifelong numismatist who had an eye for coins of exceptional quality.
Born in 1939 in Benito, Manitoba, Wally came into collecting coins in a rather interesting manner. His parents, immigrants from Ukraine, decided to move to the Niagara (Ontario) region when Wally was still a toddler and, through hard work, built up a successful fruit farm. In his pre-teen/early-teen years, Wally and a few of his friends would spend time near the shore of Lake Ontario where a steamship would travel back and forth between Toronto and Niagara. Passengers onboard the steamship would toss spare change overboard as a form of entertainment, watching as boys near the shoreline would swim out into the water and dive to retrieve the coins. Wally just so happened to be one of those boys who would entice passengers to throw away their spare change.
After leaving home to start working, Wally started working in his early teens before he eventually started to play football. Quite surprisingly, baseball was always his favorite sport even though he ended up playing professional football after trying out for the CFL.
He played for the Toronto Argonauts from 1965-1970 and for the Montreal Alouettes in 1971, eventually retiring due to injury. Since playing football was not a high-paying profession back in the mid 60s and early 70s, he worked as a hotel manager where he continued to develop his business skills that would serve him well later on in his career.
Wally eventually settled in St. George, New Brunswick — his wife's hometown — where he became one of the pioneers of salmon farming in the region by co-founding Jail Island Salmon and acting as its President until he retired. Salmon farming was an extremely risky business venture at that time, to the point where Wally even used his home as collateral to borrow startup funds.
Even after retiring from salmon farming, he continued to be active in the community in numerous ways. As a devoted Christian, he started the St. George and Area Food Bank Garden, providing food for low-income residents; acted as Chair of the Board for Atlantic Baptist Senior Citizens Homes Inc. (now Atlantic Baptist Housing) and was instrumental in having two senior complexes built; and was a Deacon at the St. George Baptist Church, just to name a few of the ways he was involved in bettering the town. In recognition of his efforts, Wally was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and was later awarded Citizen of the Year by the Town of St. George in 2015.
There are few people that I have ever known to have such a positive influence on the lives of those around them, and I was extremely fortunate to get to know Wally as a close friend. We had many conversations about Canadian coins, both on collecting strategies and the history behind them, from which I learned a great deal about the hobby. I hope that his passion for numismatics will inspire others to learn about Canadian history and pass down what they know from one generation to the next, and I am honored to present the expansive range of numismatics he collected over the years as The Balasiuk Collection.
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A fixed-price catalogue is in the process of being created to list all the certified coins and banknotes of The Balasiuk Collection, as well as earlier proof-like sets, a handful of military medals, and a selection of other numismatic items. The size and complexity of this collection meant that it was simply not feasible to list and detail every individual item for purchase through the website; upon availability of the catalogue, an order form will be available on the site where you can enter which items you are seeking to purchase by catalogue number. Selected items from the collection will be available for viewing, pickup, and purchase at the 2023 Halifax
RCNA Convention from July 19-22, so make sure to stop by Table #49!
The catalogue for the collection will be available for purchase through stgeorgecoins.com on July 12th. Those who purchase a catalogue will receive:
• Immediate access to a digital version of the catalogue, allowing for early viewing and purchasing of coins before the upcoming
RCNA convention
• A print copy of the catalogue mailed to you at a later date
While exact printing specifications are to be determined, the catalogue will be printed in full color and will feature high-resolution images of select coins and other numismatic items.
• Size: 6.69" x 9.61" (TBD)
• Pages: 48 (24 double-sided pages; TBD)
Coins purchased prior to the
RCNA convention will be shipped out within two weeks following the convention. This allows for time to ensure that orders are processed with care and to allow for select coins to be displayed at the convention, as we wish to show these coins assembled as a collection one last time before they are treasured by their future owners.
Posted 06/27/2023 10:55 am
