Half Mohur 2012, 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. Some of them are non-standard and/or one-off issues in gold, such as this one.

The Mint says about this coin:
The Mohur today is inspired by the original coin and as a result bears the noble Lion and Palm Tree motif on its reverse, with the effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. Each Mohur weight is carefully calculated as 11.66g, the equivalent to 180 grains and in keeping with the universal standard established by Sher Shah Suri as long ago as 1540, to ensure the historical authenticity of the coins.

The careful study of historical sources ensures that today’s Mohur is a testament of craftsmanship and quality, paying homage to the historic Mohur coin that first bore the Lion and Palm Tree motif in 1835.

The East India Company and St Helena issue a strictly limited number of Mohur proof coins every year as a symbol of wealth, prestige and trust. The Mohur, meaning symbol or seal, was first recorded in the history of world coinage as long ago as 1540. Introduced by the Mughal Emperor Sher Shah Suri, known locally as Sher Khan or the Lion King, the founder of the Sur Empire in Northern India, it was seen as a symbol of the Emperor’s power and wealth.

Some may say it was fate that this symbol of wealth and prestige should come to represent The East India Company. Founded in the year 1600 by way of Royal Charter by Elizabeth I the Company has long since been acknowledged as the world’s first global corporation. It quickly dominated world trade with an international reach across many continents. Its early trading interest in fine cloths, tea and spices soon saw its influence spread throughout India and the Far East. By the middle of the 17th century, the East India Company had become one of the two biggest bullion traders of its time and exported vast amounts of precious metal from England to support its trading needs. As the Company’s activities expanded it became so significant that in 1677 King Charles II granted it the right to mint its own coins in the territories it administered and through partnerships with local mints in India, the majestic Mohur was adopted as the main trading currency of the East India Company gold coin.