Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

St Helena, East India Co, silver Threepence or Fanam, 1714, Fort St George (Madras), lion rampant left, rev. date above balemark, 0.90g/6h (Vice FT1; KM. 3; cf. Pridmore I, 719; cf. Baldwin 85, 3283). Obverse fine, reverse very fine and with a full date, very rare and the first coin for the island £400-500

Provenance: Found on the Thames foreshore in East London, c. 2005.

Following an unsuccessful attempt by the directors of the East India Co to have a coinage for St Helena struck in England in 1713, on 12 February 1714 the company instructed its mint at Fort St George to strike copper halfpence and farthings and silver fanams for the island, although it was not until towards the end of 1716 that the coins were placed in circulation