Napoleon Angel. Saint-Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 1 £- 2021 99,9 % silver coin, 1 oz

Face value 1 £
Silver: 99,99%
Diameter: 38,6
Weight: 31,1 g
Mintage: 1821

Drawing it’s inspiration from the presence of Angels on Napoleon’s Death medal and his tomb at Les Invalids.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica in 1769. He is widely regarded as one of history’s great military minds, building an Empire that stretched across Europe before his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He was exiled to St Helena, where he remained until his death in 1821.

While Napoleon’s military cunning is undisputable, it is also believed that he carried a symbol of good luck with him, his own personal guardian angel.

The French Angel Coin first appeared in the late 18th Century. Its designer became suspected of revolutionary tendencies and was sentenced to death but somehow escaped the guillotine. Allegedly he bribed his captors with an Angel Coin, and it became known as a lucky charm. 19th Century French Naval Captains would refuse to sail without one in their purse, and even Napoleon was not beyond belief in the lucky Angel Coin. According to folklore he carried one in his pocket throughout his reign, only to fatefully lose it the day before his final defeat at Waterloo.