Owner Comments:
The Saint Helena coinage tells a story that is utterly saddening to those who collect the coinage produced at the Soho Mint. James Watt Jr. was contracted to strike £1000 worth of copper halfpence to circulate on an island that was currently playing host to Napoleon Bonaparte. Upon his residence on the island, the population swelled, and there was suddenly an urgent need for small change. The Soho Mint agreed to strike a total of 702,745 halfpence, which were sent to St. Helena in forty-four casks on June 5th (Doty, 1998). Napoleon died on May 5th, and his passing marked a mass exodus from the island that would eventually be inundated with the freshly struck halfpence. Doty (1998) notes that thirty-five of the original forty-four casks were returned to Soho to be melted in June 1831. By his estimate, some 564,480 halfpence were melted, leaving only 138,265 for circulation. A fair number of these pieces circulated extensively, but a collector will not have to look long to find an almost uncirculated example for sale. For those who are patient, an uncirculated specimen can be found for a relatively reasonable price. According to Vice (1983), Thomas Webb received £20 for engraving the dies.
Obverse: The Obverse design is rather pleasing, with the East India Company's arms, which consists of two outward-facing lions perched on top of a curved ribbon bearing the inscription "AUSPICIO REGIS & SENATUS ANGLIAE" which translates to "By right of the King and Senate of England". The innermost foot of each lion is resting upon a ball above the ribbon. The lions are upright on hind legs supporting a shield with one arm and holding a slightly angled flagpole bearing an English flag. The shield is quartered, a crowned shield depicting the English and French coat of arms appears on the upper left-hand side. The remaining three quadrants are blank. Centered immediately above the central shield supported by the upright lions is a knight's helmet adorned with a necklace. Unlike the Madras and Bombay pieces, this helmet is facing right. Centered upon the top of the helmet is an upright lion with one paw resting on a ball. The lion is holding a regal crown and facing the viewer of the coin. The tightly spaced beaded border is contained within a very thin raised rim.
Reverse: The reverse depicts a large wreath, which is confined within an inner beaded border. Contained within this wreath is the legend
St. HELENA HALFPENNY in a tightly formed circle. The date, 1821, appears centered within the legend. All of this is contained within a thin raised rim.
Edge: Plain
Notes: I find this coinage to fit well with the simplistic but elegant style of the Soho Mint. This piece is graded by PCGS as MS-63 BN, with only five graded higher. This particular coin is a choice example for the grade as it is dripping with luster and is free of any notable blemishes. To top it off, both sides are nicely accented by hints of blue around the main devices. I have handled several dozen uncirculated examples of this coin, but this is my favorite so far.