The Netherlands issued this coin to mark a decade since euro coins entered circulation on January 1, 2002 — a transition the Dutch managed while simultaneously retiring the guilder, a currency that had existed in some form since the 17th century. The changeover gave the Dutch central bank roughly two weeks to swap out a national currency deeply embedded in daily commerce, a logistical operation involving billions of guilder coins recalled from circulation.
The Netherlands issued this coin to mark a decade since euro coins entered circulation on January 1, 2002 — a transition the Dutch managed while simultaneously retiring the guilder, a currency that had existed in some form since the 17th century. The changeover gave the Dutch central bank roughly two weeks to swap out a national currency deeply embedded in daily commerce, a logistical operation involving billions of guilder coins recalled from circulation.