Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Historical medal 1816 Satirical medal on the banishment of Napoleon to St. Helena VF-XF

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After his defeat in 1814, the French Emperor Napoleon was exiled to the small mediterranean island of Elba. However, within months he had escaped the island and returned to France to continue his fight against the allied forces for the Hunderd Days period. Eventually, he was again defeated and banished again, this time to the much further island of St. Helena. This medal, struck in 1816 by D. & A.A, satirizes this course of events; as alluded to on the obverse (WAAR ZAL IK ONTKOMEN = 'Where will I escape'), who is to say Napoleon would not escape his exile again? Faith would however not give the former emperor the chance however, as he died in 1821 from arsenic poisoning, although the exact cause of the poisoning is up for debate.

Obv: Napoleon seated on pile of rocks in the middle of the ocean, various ships in the background - WAAR ZAL IK ONTKOMEN

Rev: BONAPARTE OP ST HELENA - D. & A.A.

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