Englishman and former army soldier, Lt Col Lance Dane lived in India since its Independence, pursuing his passion of quietly collecting and building an invaluable archive of information and artefacts over nearly 56 years. At the time of his death, his bequest to the Hinduja Foundation included a staggering collection of 35,000 ancient Indian coins ranging broadly from 600 BCE to 600 CE.
Lt Col Lance Dane passed away on May 16th, 2012, succumbing to a long and bravely fought battle with illness, but lucid to the end and determined always that his collection be a showcase of the wondrous heritage of ancient India.