Catalog
2 1/2 Gulden - Wilhelmina 'facing left' Coin note
| Issuer | Netherlands (Government) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
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| Printer | American Bank Note Company, New York, United States |
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| Obverse lettering | 2 1/2 - NEDERLAND - 2 1/2 MUNTBILJET Uitgegeven krachtens Koninklijk besluit van 4 februari 1943, No 2 De minister van Financiën TWEE EN EEN HALVE GULDEN WETTIG BETAALMIDDEL AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY (Translation: 2 1/2 - Netherlands - 2 1/2 Coin Note Issued under Royal decree of February 4th, 1943 The minister of Finance Two and a Half Gulden Legal Tender American Bank Note Company) |
| Reverse description | Red-orange intaglio print on a grey guilloche underprint, with the Dutch Royal Coat of Arms — surmounted by a crown and supported by two rampant lions — at center. The denomination 'TWEE EN EEN HALVE GULDEN' is repeated in two ornate sunburst medallions flanking the arms, with denomination numerals '2 1/2' in scalloped cartouches at all four corners and the motto 'JE MAINTIENDRAI' on a ribbon below the shield. |
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Printed in New York during the German occupation of the Netherlands, this note was produced for use by the Dutch government-in-exile and intended for release following liberation. The American Bank Note Company handled the contract, as it had for several Allied governments cut off from their domestic printing infrastructure. The "coin note" designation reflects a deliberate design choice to mimic the familiar silver rijksdaalder coinage — a psychological anchor for a public that had spent years watching German-issued occupation currency drain the country's real wealth.
Circulated from 1944 onward, these notes remained legal tender well into the postwar period before being withdrawn in the early 1950s.