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ECU - Beatrix Carolus Magnus; ½ oz gold
| Issuer | Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 ECU (1 XEU) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | ECU AV 1/2 OZ VNVS FORTIS EST XX |
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| Additional information |
The 1988 Dutch ECU gold series was issued by the Netherlands to commemorate Charlemagne as a deliberate political gesture toward European monetary unification — the ECU being the precursor unit to the euro. Beatrix's government used these collector pieces to argue, in effect, that the idea of a unified European currency had Carolingian roots, grounding a thoroughly modern project in medieval legitimacy.
Struck in .916 gold rather than the finer .999 standard common to bullion issues of the period, the alloy follows a crown gold tradition. The series catalogs under Krause's "X" (unusual world coins) classification, confirming it held no legal tender status in domestic circulation.