Owner Comments:
Curaçao - 1947(u) (KM #41) - Mintage:1,500,000
Obverse: Rampant Lion and Field from the shield of the coat of arms
Obverse Legend: MUNT VAN CURAÇAO (Mint of Curaçao), date below
Reverse: Denomination within a wreath of orange tree branches.
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 primary element on the obverse is the central elements of the shield from the Dutch coat of arms. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.
This coin is a beautiful red example of this issue and is the finest known.
Date acquired: 3/13/2016 (Already graded by NGC)
Rev. 12/5/2018