Swim Medal a Winner Again; Leads to Stolen Coins’ Owner

A Mission Hills man was reunited with his $10,000 collection of rare coins Wednesday, four years after they had been stolen from his home, police said.

A collection of British and American coins gathered dust in the San Diego police property room for 3 1/2 years while police looked for the owner. The collection, consisting of more than 1,400 individual coins and 25 rolls of coins, was to be put on the auction block this Saturday, along with 250 other lots.

But property room manager Mona Vallon on Tuesday found a clue to the owner.

“There was a little old swimming medal that he received in 1952 that had his name engraved on the back,” said Vallon.

William Birnie, 55, had earned the medal at the age of 18 as part of his Red Cross life-saving training.

Birnie had collected the coins from 1952 to 1964, but lost the collection when his home was burglarized in May, 1986. The more valuable coins were British, from the 15th and 16th Centuries, and early 19th-Century U.S. coins, Birnie said. He said not all the coins were recovered, and some $20 gold pieces were missing.

“I couldn’t believe they were found. I thought it was a practical joke, because coins, when they’re stolen, it’s so difficult to tie them to one particular person,” said Birnie. “It’s just like currency. I was just lucky that there was a medal with my name on it.”

“People need to mark their property,” warned Vallon.