| Coin | Silver Ounce 2018 British Trade Dollar |
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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 silver ounce (1 oz silver) format, usually denominated as £1.
The 2018 1 oz St Helena British Trade Dollar Silver Coin is part of a range dedicated to "trade dollars" and is inspired by the British Trade Dollar issued between 1895 and 1935 (also known as a "Hong Kong Dollar").
The Mint says about this coin:
First issued in 1895, the British Trade Dollar weighed approximately 27g and was minted in 0.900 silver to mirror the specification of the Spanish Dollar, the international trade coin of the time. It depicted for the first time a standing figure of Britannia holding a trident and British shield with a merchant ship in the background designed by Royal Mint engraver George William De Saulles. This magnificent coin was to become a symbol of the vast British trade with the Orient.
The need for a coin unrelated to a foreign country’s mint or silver supplies, which could be minted on demand, allowed British merchants to take advantage of the silk, porcelain spice and tea trade in the Orient which flourished at the end of the First Opium War. The British Trade Dollar was just the second coin minted by the British purely for international trade, after the Portcullis Money or Testern silver coin of 1601, issued by Queen Elizabeth I for The East India Companies first voyage to the East. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait" worldwide but "Sixth Portrait" in Australia, where the Queen's portrait by Vladimir Gottwald was fifth).
The Queen also wears the Coronation Necklace; originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858, it was also worn at the coronations (as Queen's Consort) of Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother) in 1937.
Unlike on British coinage, the effigy is "uncouped" (includes the Queen's shoulders). In small letters on the left, the artist's initials JC (for Jody Clark).
Running continuously around the rim is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the face value: QUEEN ELIZABETH II · ST. HELENA · ONE POUND · 2018 ·.
There is a wide rim around the effigy, decorated in Oriental fashion with a "key" pattern. |
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| Reverse | |
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Surrounded by an "Oriental"-style border with a "key" pattern, the obverse of the coin shows the standing figure of Britannia - the female personification of Great Britain, holding a trident in one hand and balancing a shield with the British Union Jack flag in the other, her cloak billowing in the wind behind. She wears a crested Corinthian helmet pushed back to reveal her face.
Britannia is standing on a sea shore, with a merchant ship under full sail in the background.
Around, between the central design and the Oriental rim, the inscription THE EAST INDIA COMPANY · TRADE DOLLAR ·. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY · TRADE DOLLAR · |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated. |
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| See also |
Coins issued by The East India Company and featuring Trade Dollar designs include:
- 1 oz Gold Proof, British Trade Dollar, Niue 2018
- 1 oz Silver Bullion, British Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2018
- 1 oz Gold Proof, US Trade Dollar, Niue 2018
- 1 oz Silver Proof, US Trade Dollar, Niue 2018
- 1 oz Silver Bullion, US Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2018
- 1 oz Silver Proof, British Trade Dollar, Niue 2018
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Chinese Trade Dollar, Niue 2019
- 1 oz Silver Proof, Chinese Trade Dollar, Niue 2019
- 1 oz Silver Bullion, Chinese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2019
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Japanese Trade Dollar, Niue 2019
- 1 oz Silver Proof, Japanese Trade Dollar, Niue 2019
- 1 oz Gold Proof, French Trade Dollar, Niue 2020
- 1 oz Silver Proof, French Trade Dollar, Niue 2020
- 1 oz Silver Bullion, French Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2020
- 1 oz Silver Bullion, Japanese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2020
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Modern Chinese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2021
- 1 oz Silver Bullion and Proof, Modern Chinese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2021
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Modern British Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2022
- 1 oz Silver Bullion and Proof, Modern British Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2022
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Modern Japanese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2023
- 1 oz Silver Bullion and Proof, Modern Japanese Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2023
- 1 oz Gold Proof, Modern United States Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2023
- 1 oz Silver Bullion and Proof, Modern United States Trade Dollar, Saint Helena 2023
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