POLICE have released images of a murdered collector's missing coins in a bid to get them back to his family.

Danny Bostock, 33, was convicted of the murder of Gordon McGhee when he was trying to burgle his home in Forest Road, Colchester, to get hold of the coins - which included limited edition Beatrix Potter 50ps.

The coins - along with the murder weapon and the clothes Bostock was wearing that night - have never been found.

Det Chief Insp Stuart Truss, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Gordon McGhee was a kind man and his family and friends have been devastated by his loss.

"They have shown great bravery and dignity throughout this trial and I hope that today’s result means they can start to move forward and honour his memory.

“Today’s sentencing proves that Bostock is a very dangerous man.

"He was fuelled by greed and jealousy and, even after killing Mr McGhee, was willing to put an entire block of flats in danger by trying to set a fire and cover the evidence.

“He has shown no remorse throughout the course of this trial and, sadly, a large number of Mr McGhee’s beloved coin collection are still unaccounted for.

“We know that Gordon wanted to sell these coins, including the Beatrix Potter collectibles, in order to contribute to his daughter’s wedding one day and, if anyone has information about their whereabouts, we’d like them to come forward.”

Chelmsford Weekly News:

  • A 2016 Beatrix Potter coin collection folder, which included commemorative 50p pieces of Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Squirrel Nutkin.
  • A 2017 Beatrix Potter coin collection, which were not in a folder, but were kept in plastic presentation envelopes. These were 50p pieces of Benjamin Bunny, Tommy Kitten, Jeremy Fisher and Peter Rabbit.
  • The Flopsy Bunny and Tailor of Gloucester coins from the 2018 Beatrix Potter collection.
  • A Britannia £50 silver coin, issued in 2015, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • An Outbreak £20 coin, issued in 2014, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • A Christmas Nativity story coin from 2016, serial UK1620CH, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • A £20 coin to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, issued in 2016, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • A £5 coin to celebrate the Longest Reigning Monarch, issued in 2015, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • A £20 coin to celebrate the Longest Reigning Monarch, serial number UK1520RM, and ordered from The Royal Mint. 
  • A Sapphire Jubilee £5 coin, issued in 2017, and ordered from The Royal Mint.
  • A £20 Sir Winston Churchill Coin, issued in 2015 with the serial number UK15BWBU, and ordered from the Royal Mint. 
  • A £5 uncirculated coin commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston Churchill, issued in 2015 with the serial UK15WCBU, and ordered from the Royal Mint.
  • A £5 coin to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, with the serial number UK15WCBU, and ordered from The Royal Mint. 
  • Four full gold sovereigns. 
  • One Edward VII half sovereign, dated either 1905 or 1906.
  • One silver £1 Piedfort coin of double thickness.
  • One silver proof £1 coin, dated 1983.
  • One silver proof Welsh Leek £1 coin, dated 1985.
  • One silver proof Scottish Thistle £1 coin, dated 1984.
  • One 50p piece made for the Accession to the European Economic Community.
  • One 50p piece made for the Presidency to the European Economic Community.
  • Three 50p pieces commemorating D-Day, issued in 1994. One of the pieces is a silver proof, another a regular proof, the final coin missing is the circulated coin.
  • One 50p Britannia coin, dated 1972.
  • One 20p piece, uncirculated, from Royal Mint’s annual Brilliant collection, dated 1992.
  • One £2 coin to celebrate the 1996 World Cup.
  • One £2 coin to commemorate Guy Fawkes with the spelling mistake “pemember pemember…”, dated 2005.
  • One £2 coin celebrating the Magna Carta, dated 2015.
  • One £2 silver proof coin celebrating Robert Burns, dated 2009.
  • One £2 silver proof coin celebrating Charles Darwin, dated 2009.
  • One £2 silver proof coin celebrating the King James Bible, dated 2011.
  • One £1 silver proof Piedfort Alderney coin.
  • Two £1 silver proof Jersey Silver coins.
  • One £5 silver proof coin celebrating the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday, dated 1980.
  • One £5 silver proof coin celebrating the 40th anniversary of Coronation Silver.
  • One 2p piece dated 1972.
  • One 2p piece dated 1973.
  • One Queen Elizabeth Jubilee coin, dated 2002.
  • Seven coins from the Life of Queen Elizabeth II collection.
  • Six 10 shilling notes.
  • Eight old £1 notes, which were displayed in postcard-style envelopes.
  • Two old Scottish £1 notes.
  • Two £20 silver proof coins in cardboard sleeves.
  • Two Piedfort £1 coins.
  • One silver Piedfort £1 coin.
  • One £5 Vivat Regina coin. 
  • An unknown quantity of silver proof £1 coins.
  • A £10 Britannia coin, which had an issue number of between 400 and 410 and an authenticity certificate.
  • An unidentified £100 coin, which we believe Gordon purchased a few months before his death.