25 Cents - Juliana Pattern

Pattern coinage struck in 1980 coincided with Juliana's abdication in favor of her daughter Beatrix — a transition that rendered any coins bearing Juliana's effigy immediately obsolete before production could begin. This aluminium piece was almost certainly part of a broader materials-testing program the Dutch mint ran during the late 1970s as rising silver and nickel costs pushed monetary authorities across Europe to evaluate cheaper substrates. Aluminium was ultimately rejected for circulation coinage in the Netherlands, making survivorship of these patterns dependent almost entirely on mint archives and collector acquisitions at the time of issue.