Owner Comments:
Because of a law requiring monarchs to be at least 18 years of age, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont became Queen Wilhelmina’s regent until her official coronation on her 18th birthday in 1898. Emma’s primary responsibility as regent was to prepare Wilhelmina to rule. Looking out from a balcony in the royal palace Wilhelmina asked, “Mama, do all these people belong to me?” Emma responded, “No, my child, it is you who belong to all these people.” This philosophy guided Wilhelmina’s education and training.
This 1898 NGC MS-66 10 gulden coin designed by P. Pander is the scarcest coin of the Wilhelmina I registry set with a mintage of 99,239. When contrasting the obverse of the 1898 with that of the 1897, you will note a crowned 18-year-old Queen Wilhelmina facing right with her hair pulled up in a statelier manner. Interestingly, coins of lesser face value than the 10 gulden with the same bust show her head facing left.
I started this set with a PCGS MS-63 coin of this date purchased on May 11, 2009. Then early in 2012, NGC decided to exclude PCGS coins from their world registry. Subsequently, in order to fill my set, I decided to cross this coin over to NGC. The coin returned as an MS-62 and just as is in the case of the PCGS holder served as a placeholder for a higher grading coin.
Upgrade opportunities for this coin are few and far in between, especially since this date is much scarcer than the other dates. Nevertheless, opportunity came knocking on October 22, 2012, and I bought a NGC MS-64 coin to upgrade the MS-62 in my set. Moreover, this upgrade replaces the last coin in my set grading MS-63 or lower.
Nearly seven years after starting this set I have finally met my goal of every coin grading MS-65 or higher. I acquired this MS-66 example of the scarce 1898 10 gulden on March 30, 2016.