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The silver St. Helena coin-bar is not only official legal tender of St. Helena, but this new rectangular silver bullion coin joins only a handful of rectangular coins with legal tender status anywhere in the world.
The obverse of this coin features Raphael Maklouf’s historic “third portrait” of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This familiar 1985 design shows the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem Crown. The coin is inscribed with its face value, date, nation of issue, weight, purity, and metal content of the coin.
The reverse displays a square-rigged East Indiaman ship. The company’s distinctive merchant mark is clearly visible on the fore-topsail and main-topsail. In the background, a series of lines indicates prevailing wind direction, as on antique nautical charts.
The East India Company was founded in 1600 to satisfy English demand for the riches of the East Indies. St. Helena, poised between Southern Africa and South America in the middle of the South Atlantic, was once a vital strategic location on the company’s international routes. (Interestingly, the East India Company actually minted St. Helena’s first coins in 1821.) Learn more about The East India Company below.
Unfamiliar New World imports like indigo dye and spices filled the cargo holds of the tall-masted ships alongside less exotic goods like salt, furs, cotton, and silver. Ships returning to England from the East Indies gathered at St. Helena to form convoys before heading back to
London, where their arrival was a cause for celebration. Reconnect with an age of exploration and wonder, when sailing ships crossed the oceans, ballasted with real, gold and silver money that looked a lot like this…
This 250 gram Saint Helena coin bar is approved for ownership in a precious metals IRA. The IRS allows certain forms of precious metals that meet their exacting criteria to be owned by individuals saving for retirement. A Birch Gold Group Precious Metals Specialist can help you set up your precious metals IRA account, where you can enjoy the benefits of tax-free ownership of physical precious metals for your future financial security. Learn more about precious metal IRAs through our Precious Metals IRA Guide.
Please note, Birch Gold’s selection of products rotates over time. To learn more about the silver Saint Helena coin-bar, its availability and current pricing, please call us at (800) 355-2116.
The East India Company began as a British joint-stock company founded in 1600, granted a monopoly on British trade from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn. At its peak, the East India Company was the largest corporation in the world. It had a profound impact on global trade, almost single-handedly reversing the drain of gold and silver bullion from West to East.
The ships of The East India Company were commonly known as East Indiamen – part cargo ship, part passenger ship and part man-of-war. East Indiamen were the largest merchantmen in the British fleet.
On 13 February 1601 The East India Company’s first fleet of just four ships sailed from Woolwich, bound for the islands of Java and Sumatra to load up on black pepper and other spices. It was to mark the beginning of a global trade.
A network of trading hubs or factories grew quickly in key locations such as Surat, Madras, Calcutta and Bombay and The Company soon started operating what became known as the “triangular trade” – exchanging precious metals (gold and silver) for products such as textiles, made in India and selling these to the East India in exchange for spices.
The spices were then shipped to London where they commanded high prices (up to a 10,000% markup!). East India Company shareholders enjoyed enormous profits for centuries
These silver Saint Helena 250g coin bars feature an early 19th century East Indiaman, sails taut as it crosses the ocean, its prow pointed at the rising sun.
Today’s East India Company captures remarkable stories and unique moments in time in gold and silver. Combining traditional hand-crafted skills passed down from generations of expert engravers with the latest modern techniques, they create precious metals coins to cherish, collect and pass on from generation to generation.
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