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 coin is part of the Una and the Lion range by The East India Company.
The legend of Una and the Lion dates back to the 16th Century and Edmund Spencer’s epic medieval poem, The Faerie Queene. Una is a beautiful princess on a quest to rescue her parents from a dragon who has imprisoned them in a tower. She encounters a fierce lion whose rage is subdued as he is captivated by Una’s beauty and innocence. He becomes her faithful companion, forever by her side, protecting her from harm. The relationship between Una and the Lion and the great coin designers began with the 1839 five-pound piece, produced to mark the first anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria. It featured a bold neoclassical design by William Wyon, whose Una and the Lion symbolised the young Queen Victoria harnessing the power of the mighty British nation, represented by the Lion. It is now recognised as one of history’s most beautiful coin designs, a legacy which continues with the East India Company’s annual Una and the Lion Collection.
The mint says about this edition:
"The 2024 Una & The Lion Collection sees their ancient legend retold with a beautifully natural design by wildlife artist Carroll Hutchings, who initially worked in pen and ink to create an illustration casting elegant Una and the mighty lion as two connected sides of one story. Carroll’s fresh interpretation breathes new life into their timeless legend, Una’s poise balanced against the lions’ ferocity, their individual personalities entwined by natural features that might have been found in the woodland where they met. |
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The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King Charles III facing left.
In tiny letters on the neck truncation, the artist's initials: GD (for Glyn Davies).
Around, the monarch's legend and the face value: CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · ST. HELENA · 5 POUNDS ·. Translated from Latin, the legend means: Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith, Saint Helena.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin shows mythical heroine Una as a beautiful young woman, together with the lion; they are close together, one face morphing into the other.
Around above right, the inscription UNA & THE LION; around below right, the date of issue in Roman numerals: MMXXIV (2024).
In the left field, the EIC mint mark of the East India Company; the letters are separated by arrows radiating from the centre around which they are situated. |
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