Saint Helena and Ascension issued bimetallic coinage relatively late compared to most Commonwealth territories, and the 2022 pound continues a series that has always had to balance the logistical reality of supplying an island with no mint of its own — all coinage is produced under contract, typically through the Pobjoy Mint or similar UK-based facilities. Circulation volumes for Saint Helena issues are perpetually small, driven by a resident population of roughly 4,500 on the main island, with Ascension adding only a few hundred more.
Saint Helena and Ascension issued bimetallic coinage relatively late compared to most Commonwealth territories, and the 2022 pound continues a series that has always had to balance the logistical reality of supplying an island with no mint of its own — all coinage is produced under contract, typically through the Pobjoy Mint or similar UK-based facilities. Circulation volumes for Saint Helena issues are perpetually small, driven by a resident population of roughly 4,500 on the main island, with Ascension adding only a few hundred more.