2930) "The Boston Tea Party", St. Helena, in coordination with the East India Company: 250th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION (1773-2023): "Americana Collection": First Coin in the Series: The East India Company has issued 5 Pounds Gold and Silver and 50 Pounds Silver Proof Coins on behalf of the Treasury of St. Helena: Date/Year of Coins issue: 2023:
The Header/Banner is titled - "BOSTON TEA PARTY - 250TH ANNIVERSARY" and showcases the Obverses and Reverses of the Gold and Silver Coins. In the background is a scene of infuriated agitators, some of them disguised as Red Indians who threw the East India Company's Tea boxes into the harbour waters. At bottom right is given the mintmark of the East India Company inspired by the Bale mark of the Company when it was trading in British colonies.
The Treasury of Saint Helena, in coordination with the East India Company has released a new Coin Series titled the “Americana Collection” of Gold and Silver Proof coins, which features memorable events leading up to the "American Declaration of Independence".
As the United States prepares to celebrate a milestone Anniversary in 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on the 04.07.1776, several important events leading to this monumental declaration are taking centre stage, so to speak.
One particular event, remembered in American history as “The Boston Tea Party,” occurred on the 16.12.1773, which essentially began what would be a seven-year struggle to attain nationhood.
Events leading to The Boston Tea Party:
The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest on 16.12.1773 by the "Sons of Liberty" in Boston in colonial Massachusetts.
The target was the Tea Act of 10.05.1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts.
The Sons of Liberty strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of their rights.
In response, the Sons of Liberty, some disguised as Native Americans, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.
The demonstrators boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbour.
The British government considered the protest an act of treason and responded harshly. The episode escalated into the American Revolution, becoming an iconic event of American history.
Since then, other political protests such as the "Tea Party Movement" have referred to themselves as historical successors to the Boston protest of 1773.
The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act, a tax passed by the British Parliament in 1773.
Colonists objected to the Tea Act believing it violated their rights as Englishmen to "no taxation without representation", that is, to be taxed only by their own elected representatives and not by a parliament in which they were not represented.
The well-connected East India Company also had been granted competitive advantages over colonial tea importers, who resented the move and feared additional infringement on their business.
Protesters had prevented the unloading of tea in three other colonies, but in Boston, the embattled Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea to be returned to Great Britain.
The Boston Tea Party was a significant event that helped accelerate and intensify colonial support for the American Revolution.
The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire - the financial problems of the British East India Company and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament's authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representation.
Parliament responded in 1774 with the "Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts", which, among other provisions, ended local self-government in Massachusetts and closed Boston's commerce.
Colonists up and down the Thirteen Colonies in turn responded to the Intolerable Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which petitioned the British monarch for repeal of the acts and coordinated colonial resistance to them.
The crisis escalated, leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord on 19.04.1775, which marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
The Boston Tea Party:
On 16.12.1773, American colonists fought back against unfair British taxation with a peaceful but powerful protest that became one of the first acts in the American revolution.
The first event recollects an act of protest in colonial American history, which would launch the birth of a nation.
The act itself was a political protest that took place at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts.
The protest culminated when American colonists grew frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation.”
Hearing the news about the additional taxes imposed on the cargo destined for the American colonies, the East India Company originally offered to cover the cost of the tax for the colonists.
However, the company’s attempts were futile, as colonists’ desires for independence from Great Britain grew stronger and changed the course of world history forever.
Disguised as Native Americans, a large group of protesters who were known as the "Sons of Liberty" boarded the merchant ships the Eleanor, the Beaver, and the Dartmouth, and threw 342 chests of tea - imported by the British East India Company - overboard and into the harbour.
The tea, with a value of £10,000, a staggering amount of money in 1773, and which amounted to 46 tonnes, were tipped into Boston Harbour that evening.
The event was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonies and demonstrated to Great Britain that Americans would not accept taxation and tyranny arbitrarily.
The news of this first act of defiance spread far and wide across the thirteen colonies, the territory further west, and even into the colonies of British North America in what is now Canada.
This act of defiance began the call of rallying American patriots to begin the fight for independence, which culminated in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopting a resolution for independence on 02.07.1776.
Two days later, the resolution was approved as the Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson, later the third President of the United States.
It was the Treaty of Paris, which was signed by representatives of the United States and Great Britain on 03.09.1783, which both ended the War of the American Revolution and recognised the new nation by the British crown.
Based on the preliminary treaty of 1782, the agreement went on to grant the United States significant western territory.
Replica of the Elenor and Beaver in Boston - Boston Tea Party Museum:
The Boston Tea Party Museum is located on the Congress Street Bridge in Boston.
It features reenactments, a documentary, and a number of interactive exhibits. The museum features two replica ships of the period, Eleanor and Beaver.
Additionally, the museum possesses one of the tea chests from the original event, part of its permanent collection.
The story of one original tea chest:
On the morning after the Boston Tea Party, a young man named John Robinson discovered a tea chest along the shore of Dorchester Flats. He took it home and hid it under the stairs and went off to fight in the Revolutionary War.
Known today as the ‘Robinson Tea Chest’, it was handed down through the family for generations and is the only known surviving tea chest from the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
Carved on its base is a curious game of "Nine Men’s Morris", a game for two players, sometimes referred to as "Cowboy Checkers", with its origin dating back to the Roman Empire. The aim of the game is to capture the opponent’s pieces until they have less than three left and can’t make a move.
It is believed that this game was carved into the base of the tea chests by sailors making the epic 3000+ nautical mile journey to help pass the time.
Today the Robinson Tea Chest is housed in the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum over the same body of water in which it was cast that fateful night. This humble tea chest survived a trans-Atlantic crossing, being hacked open with hatchets and submerged in sea water.
- The East India Company originally offered to cover the cost of the tax for the colonists. The Company’s attempts were futile, with colonists’ desires for independence from Great Britian triumphing - changing the course of history forever.
- Around 46 tonnes of tea were tipped into Boston Harbour that night. That’s enough tea to brew over 18 million cups!
- The tea dumped into the harbour was worth nearly £10,000 in 1773, or roughly US$1.7m in today’s money.
The tea couldn’t be recovered because of the rising tide and eventually the rotting leaves caused Boston Harbour to smell.
The Commemorative Coin:
The 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party is celebrated on this range of limited-edition coins with an exclusive new design by the American coin artist, Joel Iskowitz.
The captivating Reverse of the Gold and Silver Proof Coins on the Boston Tea Party collection is the work of American designer Joel Iskowitz.
His design captures the scene as guided by the lamplight of one of the leading Sons of Liberty, hundreds of men disguised as Native Americans who boarded three ships and poured 342 chests of East India Company tea into the icy waters of Boston Harbour.
Above the primary design, on the upper periphery is the inscription "THE BOSTON TEA PARTY" and on the lower right periphery is inscribed - "DECEMBER 16th 1773".
Separating the two inscriptions is the East India Company’s distinctive "logo mintmark", which also stands for quality and craftsmanship.
The Obverse of the Gold and Silver Proof Coins showcase a new coinage portrait of King Charles III, which is the work of engraver Glyn Davies.
The legend around the King’s effigy reads "CHARLES III. D.G. REX. F.D. ST. HELENA (meaning "Charles III. By the Grace of God. King. Defender of the Faith. St. Helena") with the denomination "1 POUND to 50 POUNDS" and year "2023".
The Coin has been issued in several Gold and Silver Coin Variants:
i) The specifications of the Gold Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Five Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Fine Gold (Au); Mintage: 250 pieces; Weight: 1 Oz or 31.107 grams; Diameter/Size: 32.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
ii) The specifications of the Gold Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Five Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Fine Gold (Au); Mintage: 25 pieces; Weight: 5.00 Oz or 155.5 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
iii) The specifications of the Silver Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Five Pounds; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver (Ag); Mintage: 5,000 pieces; Weight: 1.00 Oz or 31.107 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.6 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
iv) The specifications of the Silver Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Two Pounds; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver (Ag); Mintage: 750 pieces; Weight: 2.00 Oz or 62.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 45.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P), Ultra High Relief - The Ultra-High Relief (UHR) two-ounce silver coins are also finished with an oxidised application, enhancing an antique appearance; Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
v) The specifications of the Silver Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Two Pounds; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver (Ag); Mintage: 500 pieces; Weight: 5.00 Oz or 155.5 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
vi) The specifications of the Silver Coin Variant are:
Denomination: Fifty Pounds; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver (Ag); Mintage: 100 pieces; Weight: 1,000 grams or One Kilo Coin; Diameter/Size: 100.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Coin issued by: Treasury of St. Helena; Minted By: East India Company Bullion Ltd., on behalf of St. Helena; Year of issue: 2023; Designer: Joel Iskowitz.
- Each Proof-Quality Coin is encapsulated and presented in a bespoke replica “tea box” with a colourful booklet telling the fascinating story of this historic event and includes complimentary special edition Boston Tea Party tea blended by the East India Company.
On the base of each bespoke tea box presentation case of the 250th Anniversary of The Boston Tea Party Gold and Silver Coin Collection is presented the same Nine Men’s Morris game which was found in the Robinson Tea Chest.
- An envelope containing the official Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is also enclosed.
4) Japanese Trade Dollars: Niue Island in partnership with East India Company Bullion Ltd. has issued the fourth coin in the five-coin series titled "The Trade Dollar Collection" depicting five Trade Dollar Coins which shaped commerce in various parts of the world: A Gold 250 Dollar and a Silver 1 Dollar issued in 2019
5) French Trade Dollars: Niue Island in partnership with the East India Company Bullion Ltd. has issued the Fifth Coin in the five-coin series titled "The Trade Dollar Collection" depicting five Trade Dollar Coins which shaped commerce in various parts of the world: A Gold 250 Dollar and a Silver 1 Dollar Coin issued in 2020 depicting the French Trade Dollar
29) The first ever "No Show" Panda, USA: Minted in Platinum (One Oz.), Gold (One Oz.) and Silver (50.0 grams) Medal Variants: American Numismatic Association cancels the "2020-World's Fair of Money", scheduled to be held in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on 04-08/08/2020
30) Women's Suffrage, USA: 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment's Ratification (1920-2020), that endorsed Women's Right to Vote: Date of Coins/Medals issue: 18.08.2020
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Rajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting post 👍."
Thank you so much, Trikha sahab. The Coins have been issued by the East India Company with their EIC Bale mint mark.
DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"A VERY informative and interesting post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
Delete