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France: Exile of Napoleon on St. Helena

France: Exile of Napoleon on St. HelenaFrance: Exile of Napoleon on St. Helena
Form: Circular
By: Valentin-Maurice Borrel
Date: 1841
Ref:  Laidlaw: 0843;
Variations:
SizeMetalMassValue
51.7 mmBronze63.4 gm$260

Edge: Plain. No mint mark.

Obverse: Laureate head of Napoleon, left. Signed below the truncation: “BORREL FT. 1841”. Legend: “NAPOLEON (left) EMPEREUR. (right)”.

Reverse: A view of the island of St. Helena showing Jamestown and High Knoll Fort. Sailing ship on the right. Legend: “L’EXIL ABRÉGEA SES JOURS. (exile shortened his days)”. In the exergue: “PRISONNIER A STE. HÉLÈNE, / LE 18 OCTOBRE 1815. IL MOURUT LE 5 MAI / 1821”.

Notes: Reference: Bramsen 2004, Julius 4039.

St. Helena is a small island in the South Atlantic 2000 km west of Southern Africa. After Napoléon's defeat at the the Battle of Waterloo, he was taken to the island in October 1815 where he resided as a captive in Longwood House until his death on 5 May 1821.

The medal was produced to commemorate the return of Napoleon’s remains to France in 1840.