SAINT HELENA, ASCENCION AND TRISTAN DA CUNHA BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY
DEPENDENT TERRITORIES OF SAINT HELENA AND ASCENSION JOINT ISSUE
REIGN OF ELIZABETH II (1952-PRESENT) - HOUSE OF WINDSOR
PLATINUM 50 POUNDS
COMMEMORATING THE 165th ANIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON I
CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 68 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF ELIZABETH II WEARING THE GEORGE IV STATE DIADEM RIGHT; DATE RIGHT; DENOMINATION BELOW; CROSS DIVIDES DEPENDENCIES ABOVE.
REV: HALF PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON UNIFORMED AND IN CLASSIC POSE STANDING ON DOCK SEEN AT RIGHT; BRITISH WOODEN MASTED WARSHIP AT FULL SAIL ON THE OCEAN BACKGROUND RIGHT; DEATH DATE ABOVE RIGHT.
KM #10
NAPOLÉON BONAPARTE (1769-1821), ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A MILITARY AND POLITICAL LEADER IN THE LATTER DAYS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION DURING THE FRENCH FIRST REPUBLIC. HE LED THE FRENCH ARMY THROUGH SEVERAL SUCCESFUL CAMPAIGNS AGAINST REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE'S ALLIED ENEMIES, AND IN 1799 STAGED A COUP D'ÉTAT, ESTABLISHING HIMSELF AS FIRST CONSUL. AS FIRST CONSUL OF THE REPUBLIC NAPOLEON WAS ALREADY FRANCE'S RULER, AND THE VICTORIOUS COMMANDER OF HER MILITARY FORCES AS WELL, BUT AN ASSASINATION PLOT AGAINST HIS LIFE GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECLARE HIMSELF EMPEROR IN 1804.
HIS MILITARY GENIUS LED TO FRENCH HEGEMONY OF MOST OF THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE. HIS SUCCESSES IN HIS CAMPAIGNS, NOW CALLED THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, WERE FOUGHT AGAINST THE ALLIED COALITIONS THAT WERE FORMED BY THE OTHER MAJOR EUROPEAN POWERS, ENSURING NAPOLEON WITH THE DISTINCTION OF BEING HELD AS ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST MILITARY MINDS. HIS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS ARE STILL STUDIED AT MILITARY ACADEMIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. NAPOLEON SOUNDLY DEFEATED FIVE OUT OF SEVEN COALITIONS. THE SIXTH COALITION FORCED HIM INTO EXILE ON THE ISLE OF ELBA IN 1814, AND AFTER HE ESCAPED CONFINE ON ELBA, HE RETURNED TO RULE FRANCE AGAIN FOR 100 DAYS IN 1815.
AS SOON AS IT BECAME KNOWN THAT NAPOLEON WAS ON HIS WAY TO PARIS AFTER HIS ESCAPE FROM ELBA, THE ALLIED LEADERS AT THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA RALLIED TO MARSHAL THEIR FORCES. NAPOLEON AND HIS SMALL ARMY MET THE ALLIED FORCES, DURING THE WAR OF THE SEVENTH COALITION, AT WATERLOO IN BELGIUM. THE REMNANTS OF THE EMPEROR’S GRANDE ARMÉE FOUGHT THE ALLIED ARMY UNDER THE BRITISH DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND THE PRUSSIAN GENERAL von BLÜCHER. THIS BATTLE RESULTED IN THE FINAL DEFEAT OF NAPOLEON, AND HIS PERMANENT EXILE TO THE ISLE OF ST. HELENA.
OVER A THOUSAND MILES OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA IN THE SOUTH ATLANIC OCEAN. SAINT HELENA, CHOSEN BY GREAT BRITAIN AS THE ISLAND OF CONFINEMENT FOR THE FORMER FRENCH EMPEROR, WAS HEAVILY GUARDED BY FORCES OF THE BRITISH ARMY AND NAVY. THE ISLAND WAS RUN FOR THE BRITISH CROWN BY THE POWERFUL BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY. THIS EARLY MEGACOPRORATION CONTROLLED INDIA, THE CHINA TRADE, AND MANY PORTS OF CALL IN BETWEEN. WHEN NAPOLEON WAS A "GUEST" ON ST. HELENA, THE TINY ISLAND HAD MORE THAN A THOUSAND EXTRA RESIDENTS AND A LARGE MILITARY GARRISON OF BRITISH REGULARS, AS WELL AS NAVAL WARSHIPS ENCIRCING THE ISLAND TO ENSURE NAPOLEON WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO ESCAPE AGAIN. THE FORMER EMPEROR WAS TREATED POORLY BY HIS CAPTORS, AND MOVED TO LONGWOOD HOUSE, A RESIDENCE THAT WAS WINDSWEPT, IN DISREPAIR, AND RIFE WITH UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS. IT WAS HERE THAT NAPOLEON, SURROUNDED BY A SMALL CADRE OF LOYAL FOLLOWERS, FINISHED DICTATING HIS MEMOIRS. HIS HEALTH DETERIORATED RAPIDLY DUE TO THE HARSH CONDITIONS OF HIS CONFINEMENT AND NAPOLÉON BONAPARTE, ONCE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND KING OF ITALY, AND ONE THE MOST FEARED MAN AND RESPECTED MEN OF HIS TIME, DIED IGNOMINIOUSLY OF STOMACH CANCER IN 1821.
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY WAS GIVEN FULL RESUMPTION OF CONTROL OF THE ISLAND. SAINT HELENA WOULD BECOME A CROWN COLONY IN 1833, AND IN 1981 SAINT HELENA, ALONG WITH THE ISLANDS OF ASCENSION AND TRISTAN DE CUNHA, WOULD BECOME A SINGLE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY.
CONTAINS 32.26 GRAMS OF .999 FINE PLATINUM (1.0361 OZ APTW)
33 MM IN DIAMETER
5,000 MINTED
ROYAL MINT
