5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Battle of Waterloo

Jersey issued this piece to mark the bicentennial of Waterloo, a battle that ended Napoleon's Hundred Days campaign on June 18, 1815. The island's connection to the conflict is more than ceremonial — Jersey-born Major General Sir George Don had served as Lieutenant Governor of the island and was instrumental in its military administration during the Napoleonic Wars. The Channel Islands sat uncomfortably close to French-controlled territory throughout that period, making any Napoleonic victory a direct territorial threat.

Struck in copper-nickel rather than silver, this is the circulation-weight commemorative version rather than a precious metal issue.