Catalog
20 Dollars - Elizabeth II Battle of the Saints, Silver Proof Issue
| Issuer | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
|---|---|
| Year | 1982 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#4a |
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| Reverse description | A dramatic naval engagement scene occupies the central field, depicting multiple full-rigged men-of-war under sail in close combat upon stylised waves, commemorating the Battle of the Saints of 1782. The commemorative dates '1782' and '1982' are prominently displayed in the upper field flanking the scene. The circular legend 'BI-CENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SAINTS' runs around the periphery, with a decorative crossed-cannon device at the base. The deeply mirrored proof fields provide strong contrast against the frosted devices. |
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| Mintage | 1982 - Proof - 2,500 |
| Additional information |
The Battle of the Saints, fought in April 1782 in the channel between Dominica and Guadeloupe, was the engagement in which Admiral Rodney decisively broke the French line — a tactical maneuver that effectively ended French naval ambitions in the Caribbean and arguably preserved British control over what remained of its West Indian possessions after American independence. Saint Kitts itself had fallen to French forces under de Grasse just months earlier, in January 1782, making the timing of this commemorative quietly ironic.
This proof was struck in the first full year of Saint Kitts and Nevis as an associated state preparing for full independence, which came in 1983.