Owner Comments:
Curaçao/Suriname - 1941 P (Palm Privy) 25 Cents - KM-38 - Total Mintage: 1,100,000
Curaçao: 500,000 minted in 1941
Suriname: 300,000 minted in 1941
Suriname: 300,000 minted in 1942, but still dated 1941
Obverse: Head of Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina I facing left
Obverse Legend: WILHELMINA KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN (Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands)
Reverse: Denomination and date within wreath
Reverse Legend: none
Edge: Reeded
This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in the Dutch Colonies of Curaçao and Suriname. 800,000 coins were struck in 1941, 500,000 for Curaçao and 300,000 for Suriname. 300,000 more were struck in 1942 (still dated 1941) for Suriname. It even bears the "P" mint mark just below the second "1" in the date in addition to the Palm tree privy mark used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from those intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in many cases there would have been no confusion given other markings on the coin.
It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the "P" mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a "P" mint mark. The others are the 10 Cent coin minted for Curaçao and Suriname and the .Netherlands East Indies 1/10G. and 1/4G. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. "Philadelphia" is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!
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 61 years old and was living in exile in England. 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.
This particular coin is not very pretty, but high grade uncirculated examples of this issue are surprisingly difficult to find.
Date acquired: 12/29/2005 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/18/2015 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 12/5/2018