Gold Ounce 2021 Napoleon's Angel, Coin from Saint Helena - detailed information

Saint Helena is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean which is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The currency of the island is the Saint Helena pound, fixed at parity with the pound sterling. The island has authorised some private mints to issue coins under its jurisdiction, which come in a variety of sizes - including in the popular gold ounce (1 oz gold) format, denominated as £5.

This gold ounce coin denominated as £5 is part of a commemorative range marking the 200th Anniversary since the death of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Mint says about it:
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica in 1769. He is widely regarded as one of history’s great military minds, building an Empire that stretched across Europe before his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He was exiled to St Helena, where he remained until his death in 1821. While Napoleon’s military cunning is indisputable, it is also believed that he carried a symbol of good luck with him, his own personal guardian angel.

The French Angel Coin first appeared in the late 18th Century. Its designer became suspected of revolutionary tendencies and was sentenced to death but somehow escaped the guillotine. Allegedly he bribed his captors with an Angel Coin, and it became known as a lucky charm. 19th Century French Naval Captains would refuse to sail without one in their purse, and even Napoleon was not beyond belief in the lucky Angel Coin. According to folklore he carried one in his pocket throughout his reign, only to fatefully lose it the day before his final defeat at Waterloo.

After his death on St Helena, Napoleon was initially buried there at Longwood House. But in his will he had asked to be buried “by the banks of the Seine surrounded by the French people whom I love so dearly”. His wish was granted in 1840 and he now lies in a tomb at Les Invalides in Paris under the watchful gaze of 12 magnificent stone-carved angels. To mark the 200th Anniversary of Napoleon’s death, we pay tribute to the symbolic angel with this new design partly inspired by the Napoleon Death Medal. It featured an angel draped over the Emperor’s tomb, while this 2021 coin design shows a peaceful angel holding a watchful gaze, and a protective hand, over Napoleon’s resting place.

This coin is the first in a new collection which will be released as an annual series with a new "Angel" themed design each year.