Owner Comments:
Curaçao - 1947 (u) 1/4 Gulden (KM #44) - Mintage: 1,000,000
Obverse: Head of Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina I facing left
Obverse Legend: WILHELMINA KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN (Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands)
Reverse: Denomination, date below
Reverse Legend: MUNT VAN CURAÇAO (Mint of Curaçao)
Edge: Reeded
1947 is the first year after World War II that minting of coinage for Curaçao was resumed by the Royal Dutch Mint. This coin contains two privy marks which identify the mint and the mint master.
The fish to the left of the date represents the mint master at the time the coin was minted. J.W.A. van Hengel served as the mint master from 1945 through 1969. Van Hengel started as acting mint master during World War II from 1942 until 1944. After the war he became the true mint master of the Royal Dutch Mint, and used a fish as his privy mark.
The caduceus to the right of the date has been the mint mark of the dutch Royal Mint since 1816 and is present on most coins minted by the Utrecht mint. This mark is called "staff of Mercury" in dutch, referring to the God Mercury. He is often depicted with a staff and symbolizes trade and profit, hence it's relation with the mint. The wings on top of the staff, as well as the two snakes, refer to Mercury's Greek predecessor Hermes who is often seen with two wings on a helmet or on his sandals.
The portrait of Queen Wilhelmina used on the Dutch coinage changed as the Queen aged. At the time these coins were struck, the Queen was 67 years old. She had returned to the The Netherlands in May 1945, but instead of returning to her palace, she took up residence in a mansion in The Hague. The third style of her left facing portrait which dominates the obverse of this coin, was first used in 1921 when she was just 41 years old.
Date acquired: 2/23/2017 (already graded by NGC)
Rev. 12/5/2018