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 a range commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.
The mint says about it: 2025 marks 250 years since Paul Revere’s midnight ride. On 18 April 1775, Revere and William Dawes rode from Boston to Lexington to warn Adams and Hancock of the approaching British, helping them avoid arrest and sparking the Revolution.
As a member of the Sons of Liberty, Paul Revere supported the Patriot cause and played a crucial role when British troops approached. Patriots had learned of planned British actions against the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and revolutionary leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Revere's mission was to alert them and help them avoid arrest.
Revere first placed two lanterns on the Old North Church steeple in Boston as a signal, then rode out on horseback with William Dawes at about 10 p.m. They successfully reached Adams and Hancock in Lexington, warning them and the minutemen of British movements. This advance notice contributed significantly to the Patriot victory in the battles at Lexington and Concord. Revere's ride was later immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem "Paul Revere's Ride," which, despite some historical inaccuracies, cemented his place in American cultural memory. |