188) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s Exile to St. Helena: (Part I): A One Crown Commemorative Coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by the Pobjoy Mint, UK) commemorating the Bicentenary of Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena:

188) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s Exile to St. Helena: (Part I):

 A One Crown Commemorative Coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by the Pobjoy Mint, UK) commemorating the Bicentenary of Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena:

Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon, a commoner, rose quickly through the military ranks during the French Revolution.

After seizing power in France in 1799, Napoleon got himself crowned Emperor in 1804. An ambitious, skilled and shrewd military strategist, he had ambitions to expand his rule over the whole of Europe. In furtherance of his ambition, he waged war against various coalitions of European nations and succeeded in expanding his Empire.

Napoleon created new kingdoms and enthroned members of his immediate family on some of Europe’s most established and oldest thrones and for some time it looked like his ambitious plan was succeeding.

In 1812, he led a disastrous French Army invasion to conquer Russia which failed miserably in the harsh Russian winter and Napoleon was compelled to abdicate the French throne in 1814 and was exiled to the island of Elba.

He managed to establish contact with his loyal supporters through communications sent clandestinely through visitors who called on him in exile and managed to escape from Elba.

In February 1815, after less than a year in exile, he sailed to France incognito, where his supporters had organised a grand reception and he was welcomed back by cheering multitudes. This “show” was more in the nature of convincing the common citizenry of France about how popular he was among the masses, so that his return to France would be accepted without any opposition.

King Louis XVIII, the Bourbon King whose family had been toppled in 1791 after the French Revolution and who had occupied the French throne when Napoleon had abdicated it, fled Paris and Napoleon began what was later called “his Hundred Day’s campaign”.

Wary of Napoleon’s ambitious plans, a coalition of Allies – Austrians, British, Prussians and Russians – was cobbled up against Napoleon who they feared was raising a new army of French troops with a view to attack the Allies before they could launch any attack on him so as to dislodge him from the French throne and once again make him abdicate his position as Emperor.

In June 1815, Napoleon’s troops invaded Belgium, with a view to capture Brussels. It was in Belgium that the British and Prussian troops were amassing to build up an attack on France and it was here that Napoleon planned to inflict a decisive defeat on the Allies, to further his ambition to impose/expand his rule over the whole of Europe.

On 16.06.1815, Napoleon’s Army defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Ligny. When the French troops engaged the British Army, Wellington’s men fought well and defended its positions.

However, on 18.06.1815, the British with the assistance of the remainder of the Prussian Force, built up a numerical superiority over the French troops and defeated them decisively at the Battle of Waterloo.

On 22.06.1815, Napoleon was once again forced to abdicate the French throne.

In October 1815, Napoleon was finally exiled to the remote, British held island of St. Helena, which at that time was a part of the British Overseas Territory (BOT) which included Ascension Island.

Napoleon’s visitors were strictly restricted/monitored so as to prevent an Elba style escape and he passed away on 05.05.1821 at the age of 51.

Napoleon was initially interred on St. Helena, but the Orleans King Louis – Philippe had his remains brought to France in 1840, where they were re-interred in a tomb at L’hôtel national des Invalides in Paris.

The Commemorative Coins:

The Government and Treasury of Ascension Island have brought out a commemorative coin to mark the 200^th Anniversary of the exile of the Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte to St. Helena after he was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo. This coin has been issued in gold and silver pieces.

The Obverse of the one Crown coin depicts a bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The designer of this effigy is Ian-Rank-Broadley (whose initials usually appear below the Queen’s bust in official British coinage minted at the Royal Mint, UK). This coin has been minted by the Pobjoy Mint, UK on behalf of Ascension Island. Inscribed on this face is “ELIZABETH.II.2015” on the left to upper periphery and “ASCENSION ISLAND” on the upper to right periphery.

The Reverse of the one Crown coin depicts the well known portrait of Napoleon seated upon a rearing horse.

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 1 Crown; Metal Composition: .999 gold (for gold coins), .999 silver (for silver coins); Diameter: 38.6 mm (for silver coins), 33.7 mm (for gold coins); Weight: 31.1 gms; Mintage: 1815 pieces* (for silver coins), 500 pieces (for gold coins). Coin Quality: Proof

The coins are available in Proof Fine Gold and Proof Fine Silver, both varieties produced in High relief (each coin struck four times to display the finely sculpted frosted detail).

*1815 was the year when Napoleon was decisively defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to St Helena.

2015 marks the Bicentenary of Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena.
(Note: St. Helena Pound is currently the currency of the Atlantic Islands of St. Helena and Ascension which are constituents of the British Overseas Territory (BOT) of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. As such these coins are in the nature of Commemorative coins and not legal tender). 



Links:

British Crown Dependencies:

1) Specimen Banknotes from the States of Jersey

2) Coinage and Currency from the States of Jersey

3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

4) Currency & Coinage of Gibraltar : An Overseas Territory of Great Britain

5) Coinage of Gibraltar: (A British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by the Tower Mint, UK in 2010
  
6) The Isle of Man: An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK in 2015

7) The Centenary of the ill-fated Titanic (15.04.1912 - 15.04.2012): An Alderney Five Pound Coin Commemorating the Maritime Legend

8) "Man of Steel": A Superman Movie: A set of stamps brought out in 2013 by Jersey post, the States of Jersey, commemorating Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill who played Superman in the Movie

9) Coins & Currency of Bermuda

10) The Bailiwick of Jersey - Presently circulating coinage - Pounds and Pence 

11) St. Helena & Ascension Islands: An Uncirculated Coin Set from 2003 

12) The Legend of the "HMAV Bounty" is interwoven with the heritage of the Pitcairn Islands: An uncirculated coin set from Pitcairn Islands in 2009 depicting the icons/relics of the Bounty minted by the New Zealand Mint 

Famous Battles: 

1) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to St. Helena: (Part I): A One Crown Commemorative coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by Pobjoy Mint UK) 

2) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to st. Helena: (Part II) 1) A 5 GBP Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK. 2) A"Drie Landen Zilverset" ( ot the "Three Lands Silver set") containing coins issued by the Royal Dutch Mint including coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK

3) Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain by issuing a 50 Pence coin by the Royal Mint UK

Gold Coins:
  
1) Gold Sovereigns issued in 2013 & 2014 by MMTC-PAMP in India under licence from the Royal Mint, UK, carrying the "I" Mint Mark

2) Gold Half-Sovereigns minted by MMTC-PAMP in India in 2014 under licence from the Royal Mint UK bearing the "I" Mint Mark 

Silver Coins:

1) A 20 Pound Silver coin minted for the first timr by the royal Mint UK: reverse design carries the famous St. George slaying the dragon design found on Gold Sovereigns 

British India Coinage:

 1) East India Company Quarter Anna Copper Coin which is one of the first issues under the Coinage Act 1835

2) Victoria Coinage: When she was Queen and afterwards Empress

3) Edward VII: King & Emperor  Coinage

4) George V King Emperor Coinage

5) George VI: The last of the British India Emperors Coinage 

Other British Royalty: 

1) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK

2) Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953: A Five Pound Coin minted by the Royal Mint UK in 2013, depicting the Imperial State Crown

3) The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK: Great British 2012 Coin Set (Uncirculated) issued by the Royal Mint UK

4) Prince George's Christening Ceremony celebrated with coins issued by the Royal Mint UK in 2013

5) The British Empire:  A Case of Numismatic "segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)

6) 1) The Portrait Collection: Various Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Coinage 2) The Fourth & Final Circulating coinage of the Portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley and the First Edition of the portrait of the Queen made by Jody Clark

 British Coinage:

1) The contribution of the Great British One-Pound coins in keeping alive the historical legends/emblems/heritage of the UK (1983 onwards)

2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin

3) Transformation of the Two Shilling Coin (Florin) Coin into the UK Ten Pence

4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone

 Commemorative British Coinage:

 1) Commemorating the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens: A Two pound coin celebrating his literary contributions during the Victorian Era

 2) Commemorating 50 Years of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - presently called the World Wide Fund for Nature by issue of a Fifty Pence coin by the Royal Mint, UK

3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)

4) Commemorating 150 Years of the London Underground : Two pound Coins minted by the Royal Mint UK, showing the "Roundel" logo and a train emerging from a tunnel 

5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his" Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK 

6) 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta - the Universal Guidepost to Liberty and Freedom

Inspirations from Scottish History: 

1) The Legend of King Bruce & the Spider on Banknotes

Banknotes from Scotland:
  
1) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote



Some other interesting Links:

 1) Honouring Louis Braille on the Bicentenary of his birth in 2009

2) Honouring Charles Eduord Jeanneret popularly known as Le Corbusieur, the French architect who built the modern city of Chandigarh & several other projects: A 10 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank 

3) Fort St. George Museum, Chennai (Part iii): i) Indo-Danish coins ii) Indo-Dutch coins iii) Indo-French coins iv) Indo-Portuguese coins 

4) a) Central Bank of West African States issues: the "Franc African Financial Community" (FCFA) b) Bank of Central African States issues : the "Franc Financial Cooperation in Central Africa (FFCCA)

5) French Indo-China issues: A silver one Paistre coin issued in 1895 

6) Financial Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific & French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emission d'outre-Mer (IEOM) for French Polynesia (Tahiti), New caledonia, Wallis-et-Futuna and the erstwhile New Hebrides (present day Vanuatu)  

 7) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of New Caledonia (or Nouvelle-Caledonie in French) - the CFP Franc

8) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's exile to St. Helena (Part I): A one Crown Commemorative Coin issued by the Ascension Island 

9) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's exile to St. Helena (Part II) : coins commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo: 1) A 5 GBP coin issued by the Royal Mint UK: 2) A "Drie Landen Zilverset" issued by the Royal Dutch Mint - which includes coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK 

 10) Jeanne d'Arc or Joan of Arc or "The Maid of Orleans" or "La Pucelle": 200 & 50 Euro gold coins and 10 Euro Silver coins issued by Monnaie de Paris in July 2016

11) i)"Europa Coin Programme" or the Eurostar Programme ii) Monnaie de Paris has issued a series of six coins with the theme "The Age of Iron & Glass" in January 2017

12) 100th Anniversary of Auguste Rodin's passing away commemorated with gold and silver Euro coins issued by the Monnaie de Paris under its on-going "The 7 Arts" Coin Series

 13) Statue of Liberty, Paris, France: "Treasures of Paris": Coin series issued by Monnaie de Paris on 20.01.2017

14) Marianne (or Liberty): "The Trilogy": A set of Euro denominated coins in Gold and silver brought out by Monnaie de Paris in January 2017