...Netherland Antilles - 2016 Full Set Of Four Notes

Netherlands Antilles

(Curacao and Sint Maarten, as at 10.10.2010)

 

Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen

Bank of the Netherlands Antilles, (Est.1828)

Currency - Gulden/Guilder (ANG)

The Netherlands Antilles, also known as the Dutch Antilles are a group of Caribbean islands comprises the islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles region, and Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the Leeward Antilles (south of the Caribbean). This country was created in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curacao and Dependencies. This union of tiny nations was then dissolved on 10.10.2010 when each nation was granted specific statues by the government in the Netherlands. Since then, Curacao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, managing their own affairs with the exceptions of defence and foreign policy. 

Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, the authority continues to issue banknotes under the Netherlands Antilles's name. Aruba withdrew from the union on 01.01.1986 and since then has been issuing it's own currency - the Florin. Member nations like Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) ceased using the gulden currency and all adopted the United States dollar on 01.01.2011. This leaves Curacao and Sint Maarten the remaining two nations still using the gulden currency.

The arrangement for the gulden currency used by both Curacao and Sint Maarten is due to expire on 30.06.2025. New notes have been planned to be issued in March 2025 which will only be used in Curacao and Sint Maarten only. These new series of banknotes will be issued under the central bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten. Needless to say, the notes that I have posted here are the last series for this nation under the now defunct name. 

 

It is interesting to know that Sint Maarten is a very tiny island in the Lesser Antilles region. It is so tiny that you cannot see the island on a map via the Internet unless you zoom in. Even when you do that, you will also see that this island is split into two almost equal halves, with the top half occupied by the French and the bottom by the Dutch. Both the French and the Dutch called this island the same name, albeit with different spelling. Curacao is the larger of the two islands. The land area for Curacao is 444km2 whilst Sint Maarten is only 34km2 and the distance between these two islands are about 2+ hours apart by air. These two nations have a combined population of 190,000+/-.

 

This Gulden series is the fifth series of banknotes issued since 1955. This series was introduced in 1986 to 1994. In 1998, the bank upgraded this series by adding a gold foil device on the front of all the notes. However, only four notes were issued as the 250 gulden note was not included for this upgrade. The 250 gulden has only been printed once since 1986 and as such no reprints have been issued since then. The 250 gulden note is dated 13.03.1986. 

The theme for this series is 'Bird'. Each note depicts a different bird on the front and on the back, the designs are all the same albeit the colour. All Netherlands Antilles banknotes issued are printed with a year dated since 1955, and in 1962, it added the day and month to all the notes issued.

 

Ten Gulden

Signatures

Director Secretary - Jerrald M. Hasselmeyer

President - Emsley Deonicio Tromp

Series - 2016 

Watermark - Bank seal/logo

Dimensions - 148mm x 67mm

 

Front - An image of a flying Hummingbird, purple-throated carib. This is a species of hummingbird that mainly resides on the islands of the Lesser Antilles region. The purple-throated carib are rather small birds that can grow between 11 to 12 cm long and have a weight between 7-12 grams.

 

Back - Printed in mainly green colour. The central bank seal of Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen printed in the center right. On the back of the note, the date of August 1, 2016 is printed together with the capital city of Curacao, Willemstad printed on top of the date.

 

In addition to the central bank's seal, the note is printed with two sets of serial with 10-digit long. The first 4 digits refer to the series or prefix. The remaining 6-digit is referred to the serial numbers for this series/prefix. On the watermark area, Orion rings are printed to prevent reproduction of the note by normal scanner/counterfeiting. 

Twenty Five Gulden

Signatures

Director Secretary - Jerrald M. Hasselmeyer

President - Emsley Deonicio Tromp

Series - 2016 

Watermark - Bank seal/logo

Dimensions - 148mm x 67mm

 

Front - A flying flamingo. This is a Caribbean flamingo which is tall and is a large bodied bird found in the Caribbean region. It has a long neck and a small head with bright pink colour. The Caribbean flamingo is by far the largest of all the flamingos.

 

Back - Main colour for this note is printed in red and pink. The central bank seal of Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen printed in the center right. On the back of the note, the date of August 1, 2016 is printed together with the capital city of Curacao, Willemstad printed on top of the date. It appears that this 25 gulden is more circulated than the other three notes, and since it was introduced in 1998, this note has been issued the most with 8 prints as compared to 7 for the other notes in this series. However, my assessment may not be correct unless I have the statistics information for all notes issued, as I am aware that not all denominations are printed for the same quantity.

 

Fifty Gulden

Signatures

Director Secretary - Jerrald M. Hasselmeyer

President - Emsley Deonicio Tromp

Series - 2016 

Watermark - Bank seal/logo

Dimensions - 148mm x 66.5mm

 

Front - Rufous-collared sparrow or Andean sparrow. This is an American bird that can be found mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean. This bird has a lifespan of up to ten years. It mainly feeds on seeds, grain, insects and spiders.

 

Back - This note is printed in brown and orange colour. The central bank seal of Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen printed in the center right. On the back of the note, the date of August 1, 2016 is printed together with the capital city of Curacao, Willemstad printed on top of the date.

 

One Hundred Gulden

Signatures

Director Secretary - Jerrald M. Hasselmeyer

President - Emsley Deonicio Tromp

Series - 2016

Watermark - Bank seal/logo

Dimensions - 147.5mm x 67mm

 

Front - The image of a bananaquit (bird). This species of bird can be found mainly in the Caribbean region as well as in the top half of South America. The bananquit lives among human environments and is also sometimes referred to as sugar bird.

Back - This note is mainly brown in colour. The central bank seal of Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen printed in the center right. On the back of the note, the date of August 1, 2016 is printed together with the capital city of Curacao, Willemstad printed on top of the date.

 

 

 

...Guatemala - 1 Quetzal 2024 Commemorative 1924-2024

Republica de Guatemala

(Republic of Guatemala)

 

Banco de Guatemala

(Bank of Guatemala, Est. 1945)

Currency - Quatzal (GTQ)

 

This note was reportedly released on 10.09.2024. Unlike current circulation 1 quetzal, this commemorative note is printed on paper subtracte.

 

This commemorative note was issued to celebrate the country's 100 years of adopting the currency Quetzal. The currency was first introduced in 1925 when General Jose Maria Orellana Pinto was the country's president. At the time of the currency introduction, the Quetzal was at par with the US dollar until 1987. Today, the exchange rate is about 1 quetzal worth about US$0.15+/-. Prior to 1925, the currency of Guatemala was called Peso.

 

It was reported that a total quantity of 25 million pieces was issued for this commemorative series.

One Quetzal

General Manager - Vinicio Caceres

President Alvaro Gonzalez Ricci (tenure 2022-)

Date - 15 de Noviembre de 2023 (15.11.2023)

Watermarks - N/A

Dimensions - 157mm x 67.5mm 

Front - The portrait of General Jose Maria Orellana Pinto (b.1872-1926). During his lifetime, he was a politician, engineer, a military man and also served as the President of Guatemala from 10.12.1921 until his death on 26.09.1926 at a very young age of 54 years old. Cause of death was not clear then and was a bit suspicious. Next to the General is the image of Tikal temple I or Yax Mutla. This ancient ruin is situated in northern Guatemala and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This temple is also called Temple of the Great Jaguar and is believed to have been built around 732 AD. The commemorative logo is printed in the center. In the far left is the Resplendent Quetzal, Guatemala national bird, resting on a pillar. The national bird is also featured on the national flag and the country's coat of arms too.

Back - Image of the Banco de Guatemala (Bank of Guatemala). The central bank was established in 1945. The currency of Guatemala is named after the national bird.

...East Caribbean - $50 Polymer 2024 - Grenada 50th Year Of Independence 1974-2024

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
(Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique)

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (Est. 1983)      
Currency : Dollar (CXD)

 

This is a commemorative polymer note of $50 issued in August 2024 for the celebration of Grenada's 50th Year of Independence anniversary from the British. Despite gaining full independence, the country adopted a unitary parliamentary system with King Charles III as the Head of State (King of Grenada) and has been represented by a Governor-General, Dame Cecile Ellen Fleurette La Grenade since 2013. Grenada was one of the founding members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States when it was first established on 18.06.1981. Prior to this, Grenada was a member of the West Indies Associated States (together with Antigua, Dominica, Saint Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent). Grenada's association ended in 1974 when it became independent.

 

The British officially invaded Grenada on 10.02.1763 under the Treaty of Paris. On 03.03.1967, the country was granted full autonomy and on 07.02.1974, it became fully independent with Eric Gairy (b.1922-1997) becoming the first Prime Minister, serving from 1974 to 1979.

 

Grenada is situated north of Trinidad and Tobago and consists of one main island and a few other smaller islands to the north. It has a small population of around 125,000+/-. Grenada briefly became world famous in the early 1980s. If you have followed world news then, you will remember that this tiny nation was invaded by the USA during the administration of President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The invasion was carried out due to differences in political ideological ideas and policies among the ruling party and the USA. At that time, the Grenada government was very friendly to Cuba (and to the Soviet Union) and because of this the USA was not too happy to have a pro Cuban nation so close to home that may pose a security threat to them. I believe this is the only USA's invasion of a foreign power that ended successfully since the end of the Second World War in 1945. The invasion was brief and only lasted for 8 days (25.10.1983-02.11.1983). Despite having a much superior firing power against the Grenadian forces (and the Cubans), the USA lost 19 of its soldiers in this conflict.

This commemorative banknote honours famous people of Grenada for their pivotal roles in shaping Grenada's history. The designs for this note incorporates Grenada's culture and landmarks and it's achievements since gaining independence.

 

This note is printed in vertical format, both front and back on SAFEGUARD® polymer substrate. It is believed that more commemorative banknotes will be issued when other members of the Eastern Caribbean States celebrate their 50th Anniversary of Independence at a later date. Grenada was the first country to gain independence and as such the first member to issue this commemorative note. Out of the eleven members, Anguila is still a member of the British Overseas Territory and has not chosen to become an independent state yet. The Guadeloupe and Martinique are colonies of France and I believe they have been using the Euro currency since 2002. The British Virgin Islands is using the United States dollar, despite the name 'British'.

This note is undated (nd2024). So far, only two prefixes have been signed - AA and AB. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's website, this is a limited edition and the notes are only made available in Grenada only. However, this commemorative note is valid for legal tender in any of the member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. In addition to single note, special $50 notepacks are also sold for those who wish to keep this commemorative note as a souvenir and the issue prices are as follows; -

$50 Commemorative Bank Note Pack - US$30 per set;

$50 Golden Jubilee Commemorative Magazine - US$30 per set; and

$50 Commemorative Bundle Package $50 Note and Magazine - US$50 per set.

(Courtesy of De La Rue)

  

Fifty Dollars

Governor - Timothy N.J. Antoine (since 2016-)

Printer - De La Rue 

Prefix - AA

Dimensions - 69.5mm x 146mm

 

Front - Portrait of Sir Eric Matthew Gairy (b.1922-1997), the first Prime Minister of Grenada from 1974 to 1979. Whilst Eric Gairy was out of the country in 1979, Maurice Rupert Bishop staged a coup d'état and installed himself as the second Prime Minister. Prior to that, Eric Gairy was the Premier of Grenada from 1967 to 1974, and before that was the Chief Minister from 1961 to 1962. Next to him is the Grenadian famous Olympian 400 meters runner champion Kirani James who won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. I believe he was not involved in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Below Eric Gairy is a silhouette of three people (family of three) appearing to be celebrating. To the right are the islands (map) of Grenada. The smaller maps are printed over a waterfall. There are at least seven waterfalls in Grenada but I am not sure which one this waterfall is related to. At the bottom is the silhouette of Maurice Bishop International Airport with a commercial airplane taxiing on the tarmac.

Back - Portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop (b.1944-1983). He was the second Prime Minister of Grenada from 1976 to 1983. He was overthrown by his deputy Winston Bernard Coard (b.1944) on 13.10.1983 and executed on 19.10.1983 by Winston Bernard Coard's followers. He died at the age of 39 years old. Winston Bernard Coard then went on and ruled the country from 13.10.1983 to 19.10.1983 before he too was removed by General Hudson Austin (b.1938-2022). General Hudson Austin only ruled Grenada for 6 days before the USA's invasion. After the invasion, both Winston Bernard Coard and General Hudson Austin were put on trial and both were sentenced to death in 1986. In 1991, their sentences were then commuted to life and in 2007 both were released as free men. Whilst General Hudson Austin died in 2022, Winston Bernard Coard is still alive today. He has given up politics since he was freed in 2007. Below the portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop is a woman dancing and supported by a musician team of three men playing drums.

 

Fifty Dollars

Governor - Timothy N.J. Antoine (since 2016-)

Printer - De La Rue 

Prefix - AB

Dimensions - 70mm x 145mm

 

Front - Fourteen tactile dots in the shape of a triangle are featured in the top left corner where the denomination of "50" is situated. To the right and below the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's name, the commemorative text of "50 Years Grenada's Independence" is printed and over the image of Kirani James running, the following text is printed - "The difficult we do right away. The impossible will take time". At the bottom below the commercial plan, the following text is repeatedly printed in two rows in two different colours - One People One Journey One Future.

 

Back - Next to the portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop are the two large digits of "50" representing 50 years of independence. The following text is printed over the two digits - Forward ever; backward never. At the bottom of the note is the bird-eye view of Grenada's capital city - Saint Georg's.

I personally find it interesting to see this note honouring both Eric Gairy and Maurice Rupert Bishop. Eric Gairy was allegedly reported to be very autocratic and corrupt during his term in office, and Maurice Rupert Bishop removed Eric Gairy, who was then the elected Prime Minister not via a democratic means but by force. I suppose they are still considered as national heroes in Grenada. I wonder what Winston Bernard Coard's opinion on the designs of this note is? 

...Brazil - 500 Cruzeiros 1972 Commemorative 150th Year of Independence 1822-1972

República Federativa do Brasil

(Federative Republic of Brazil)

Banco Central do Brasil

(Central Bank of Brazil, Est.1964)

Currency - Cruzeiro (1970-1981)

I have been trying to get this commemorative note for my collection for quite a while until now. Previously when I found one, it's either the asking price was very high or the condition was not what I was hoping for. I finally found one at one of the local small Sunday show/meet and I bought this note without hesitation. I have no idea if this was a good buy or simply just goodbye ($).

 

This is a 500 cruzeiros commemorative note first released in 1972 to celebrate Brazil's 150th year of Independence from Portugal. There are two main series for this issue (Series A and B) and in all, there are at least 5 varieties. The note that I have posted below is the 5th variety and was the last print for this series. As this is one of the 5 varieties, it is unlikely that I will go and hunt for the remaining four notes, as this can be a bit costly and not to mention that it might be hard to find in uncirculated condition too.

 

Portugal first claimed Brazil in April 1500 and controlled the colony directly from Lisbon in Portugal. In 1808, the capital of Brazil was then transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. In 1815, it became a kingdom when the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. Independence was achieved in 1822 when the Empire of Brazil was established.

 

Five Hundred Cruzeiros

 

Front - Faces of five Brazilian different ethnicities, from L-R, a man facing left, and then with each face turning approximately 11+ degrees to the left and eventually the last one facing the front. I have no idea what ethnicity these five people are from. It appears that they are all males. To the far left are the values of 500, with two sets of 500s printed upside down. This note that I have is from the Series B with the prefix of B02002. The prefix range for this series is ranging from A00091 to B032563.

 

Signatures 

Presidente (Conselho Monetario) - Ername Galveas 

Presidente (Banco Central) - Carlos Geraldo Langoni

Watermarks - Year Date of 1822-1972 (150 years of independence)

Dimensions - 173mm x 78mm

Back - On the back, it depicts five maps of Brazil, showing different eras, from R-L: - 

Map of Descobrimento (Discovery) - showing the eastern side of the country;

Map of Comercio (Trade) - showing natives felling trees and manufacturing goods and a ship from Portugal sailing toward the coast of Brazil;

Map of Colonizacao (Colonisation) - showing vast land area invaded by the Portuguese;

Map of Independencia (Independence) - showing the map of Brazil with boundaries of all states that made up the country; and

Map of Integracao (Integration) - showing (presumably) progress and developments with imaginative seven highways connecting the whole country.

...Bermuda - $20 Dated 01.01.2009 Third Prints Hybrid (Third Print)

Bermuda

(British Overseas Territory)

Bermuda Monetary Authority (Est.1969)

Currency - Dollar (BMD)

 

This is a third print of the $20 Hybrid note, since it was first introduced in 2009. The theme for this series are local animals on the front and well known places or buildings on the back. As this is a reprint, it also has a new Chairman's signature on the note. There are no changes to the design except for the signature. This note is also printed with the date of 01.01.2009.

Twenty Dollars (Hybrid)

Front - A Lesser Antillean whistling frog resting on a tree branch. To the locals, they are simply known as whistling frogs or tree frogs. Printed on the top are two sailboats, and at the bottom left is the bust of the late Queen Elizabeth the Second.

 

Signatures: -

Chairman - Gerald Simons (tenure 2012-2018)

Director - Anthony Joaquin

Dimensions - 68mm x 140mm

Watermarks - Hibiscus flower and a sailboat

 

Back - On the left is the St Marks Church. The church is located on South Road in Smiths Parish. Construction for the church started in 1847 and was named after St. Marks who wrote the second gospel. To the right is the Gibbs Hill lighthouse. This white in colour lighthouse was built in 1844, and until June 1964, this lighthouse was run by hand. The lighthouse is 108 meters tall and is the tallest lighthouse in Bermuda.