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 quarter ounce (1/4 oz gold) format, usually denominated as £2.
This quarter-ounce gold coin denominated as £5 is part of a commemorative range marking the 200th Anniversary since the death of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Mint says about the series: This unique and special edition of Napoleon coins is a tribute to the 200th Anniversary of his passing. Very few leaders in world history have had such an impact.
These coins are issued by the island of Saint Helena. Saint Helena is a British territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean 1,870 km away from the coast of South Africa. It is here where Napoleon spent the last 6 years of his life living in exile. Even while in exile, he studied English with the goal of being able to read English newspapers and books. He was a natural born leader from a very young age and these four coins uniquely capture a time in his life when his life had no boundaries.
The coins show designs that capture a youthful Napoleon in ultra high relief detail, quite different than the traditional images that exist. His strong features as well as his aspiring expression on his face hints at the extraordinary future he will eventually have. Behind him is the Arc de Triomphe which has been a fitting legacy monument to his greatness. Around the outside edge are his lifetime milestones which list the many reasons he was so heralded.
The coin series was developed by EIC in collaboration with Coin Invest Trust (CIT), using CIT's Smartminting® technology showcasing ultra-high relief standard in both gold and silver. |