| Denomination: | $5.00 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 28.28 gms |
| Diameter: | 38.61 mm |
| Alloy: | .925 Sterling silver |
| Issue Limit: | 3500 |
In November 2000 ‘The Historic Town of St. George and Related Fortifications’ in Bermuda were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, in recognition of their ‘outstanding universal value’. Founded in the seventeenth century, the Town of St. George and its Fortifications offer a unique insight into the culture and traditions of Bermuda while also illustrating the development of English military engineering from the seventeenth century to the present day.
To mark the acceptance of St. George and its Fortifications as a World Heritage Site, the Bermuda Monetary Authority has authorized the Royal Mint to produce a commemorative Proof coin featuring a design based on Captain John Smith’s 1624 drawing of the town’s historic ‘State House’.
Built between October 1620 and April 1621 the ‘State House ‘stands in stark contrast to the residential buildings that surround it today. Its design and construction reflect the varied past of its designer, Bermuda’s third Governor, Nathaniel Butler who, was a naval captain, military architect and intellectual with cosmopolitan tastes, merged defensive architecture with the splendor of the public hall. Though lending is appearance to that of a fortress-the State House has two-foot thick walls, loop holes windows, a flat roof capable of affording room for marksmen as well as being used as an arsenal for more than 150 years – its defensive role was never put to the test.
In 1815 the town of St. George ceased to be Bermuda’s capital and with it the role of the ‘State House’, also known as the Sessions House and Court House, changed. From being the island’s colonial parliament and legal court it became the meeting place of the town’s Masonic Lodge. The payment of the peppercorn on the feast of St John the Evangelist not only maintained the Crown’s ownership but its delivery each year, amid pomp and ceremony, has became one of the great occasions of the Town’s year.
In 1969 a major renovation of the State House was launched and using John Smith’s engraving as guidance, the town’s oldest stone structure erected by English colonists in the New World was restored to its original appearance.
