THE NAPOLEON COLLECTION ‘NAPOLEON ANGEL’
‘NAPOLEON BEE’ 300 golden bees had been discovered buried in the tomb of Childeric I in 1653 as symbols of immortality. Napoleon, seeking a new icon for his new France, saw this as an opportunity to connect his empire with the ancient Merovingian dynasty. The humble bee, hardworking, diligent and harmonious, became one of the most important symbols of Napoleon’s reign. After Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and exile to St Helena in 1815, King Louis XVIII removed or destroyed the visual symbols of Napoleon’s rule, replacing his golden bee with the traditional Fleur de Lys that had come before it. While his bees faded from view back in France, Napoleon himself lived out the remainder of his days in Longwood House on St Helena until his death in 1821. He was buried under a willow tree in the garden, a simple gravestone marking the spot. NAPOLEON BEE 1OZ SILVER PROOF COIN SET £149 (£124.17 EX VAT) To mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death, The East India Company is proud to pay tribute to his time on St Helena and the angels that protect his final resting place in Paris. Napoleon Bonaparte famously built an empire that spread across Europe before his final defeat at Waterloo in 1815, after which he was exiled to St Helena. He spent his final years there at Longwood House, where he died in 1821. He was buried under a willow tree in the garden with none of the fanfare he might have expected, a simple gravestone marking the spot. In his will he had expressed a desire to be buried in Paris, a wish that was finally granted in 1840. Napoleon’s remains now lie in a tomb under the gold-plated dome at Les Invalides in Paris. 2021 NAPOLEON ANGEL 1OZ SILVER PROOF COIN £99 (£85.50 EX VAT) (left, top) 2021 NAPOLEON ANGEL 1OZ SILVER PROOF SELECTIVE GOLD PLATED COIN £124.95 (£104.13 EX VAT) (left, bottom)
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