{"product_id":"aruba-2-1-2-florins-2-5-florins","title":"Aruba KM#57 2½ Florin 2014-2016 XF (random year)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Aruba 2½ Florin is the rarest denomination in everyday Aruban coinage — struck for just \u003cstrong\u003ethree years\u003c\/strong\u003e, from 2014 to 2016, before being discontinued. The largest and heaviest coin in the florin circulation series, it shares the same design as the 1 Florin: the \u003cstrong\u003eCoat of Arms of Aruba\u003c\/strong\u003e on the obverse and a portrait of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Willem-Alexander_of_the_Netherlands\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKing Willem-Alexander\u003c\/a\u003e on the reverse, with an \u003cstrong\u003einscribed edge\u003c\/strong\u003e reading \u003cem\u003eGOD * ZIJ * MET * ONS *\u003c\/em\u003e. With only three date years and two mint master marks possible, this is the most date-specific coin in the Aruban series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eObverse\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e bright nickel-silver overall; matte field with raised devices\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coat_of_arms_of_Aruba\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoat of Arms of Aruba\u003c\/a\u003e to the right; denomination \u003cem\u003e2 1\/2 FLORIN\u003c\/em\u003e and date to the left; state name \u003cem\u003eARUBA\u003c\/em\u003e above\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eReverse\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e bright nickel-silver; detailed portrait with fine engraving\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bust of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Willem-Alexander_of_the_Netherlands\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKing Willem-Alexander\u003c\/a\u003e facing right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLegend:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eWILLEM-ALEXANDER KONING DER NEDERLANDEN\u003c\/em\u003e (King of the Netherlands)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e you may receive any variety:\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e2014 — Sailboat (Maarten Theodoor Brouwer, Mint Master) — \u003cem\u003ein sets only; mintage 1,500\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e2015 — Sailboat (Maarten Theodoor Brouwer, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e2016 — Sailboat (Maarten Theodoor Brouwer, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e2016 — Sailboat with star (Kees Bruinsma, Acting Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e KM# 57; Schön# 52; Numista N#70652\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nickel plated steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10.3 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Round\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdge:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smooth with inscription — \u003cem\u003eGOD * ZIJ * MET * ONS *\u003c\/em\u003e (God be with us)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrientation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coin alignment (↑↓)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Centrale_Bank_van_Aruba\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentrale Bank van Aruba\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMint:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Royal_Dutch_Mint\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoyal Dutch Mint\u003c\/a\u003e (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt), Utrecht, Netherlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrivy mark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Utrecht mint mark (caduceus\/staff) present on all issues\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aruban_florin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAruban florin\u003c\/a\u003e (1986–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language(s):\u003c\/strong\u003e Papiamento, Dutch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThree Years and Done\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2½ Florin KM#57 was introduced in \u003cstrong\u003e2014\u003c\/strong\u003e alongside the 1 Florin KM#56 as part of the new Willem-Alexander coinage series, and discontinued after just \u003cstrong\u003e2016\u003c\/strong\u003e. No explanation has been officially published for its short run, but the denomination — worth roughly $1.40 USD — likely saw limited practical use in a tourism-driven economy where US dollars and credit cards dominate transactions. The result is a coin with a very narrow date range: only \u003cstrong\u003ethree years\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003etwo mint master marks\u003c\/strong\u003e (sailboat and sailboat-with-star), making it the most constrained variety set in the entire Aruban circulation series. The 2014 issue was struck exclusively for mint sets with a mintage of just \u003cstrong\u003e1,500\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe King on the Coin\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWillem-Alexander\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1967\u003c\/strong\u003e–date) became King of the Netherlands on \u003cstrong\u003e30 April 2013\u003c\/strong\u003e, when his mother \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beatrix_of_the_Netherlands\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eQueen Beatrix\u003c\/a\u003e abdicated after 33 years on the throne. He is the first Dutch king in \u003cstrong\u003e123 years\u003c\/strong\u003e — the Netherlands had been ruled by queens since 1890. A water management engineer by training, he holds a degree from Leiden University and has worked extensively with the \u003cstrong\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/strong\u003e on global water issues. His portrait on the 2½ Florin — facing right, in the classical tradition of European coinage — appears on the largest coin in the Aruban circulation series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Inscribed Edge: A Royal Tradition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe edge inscription \u003cem\u003eGOD * ZIJ * MET * ONS *\u003c\/em\u003e — \u003cstrong\u003eGod be with us\u003c\/strong\u003e — is a motto of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/House_of_Orange-Nassau\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHouse of Orange-Nassau\u003c\/a\u003e and appears on Dutch coinage going back centuries. On the Aruban florin coins it serves a practical purpose as well: the inscribed edge makes the higher-denomination coins immediately distinguishable by touch from the plain-edged lower denominations. The 2½ Florin shares this feature with the 1 Florin — the only two Aruban circulation coins with inscribed edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Aruba\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Disputed — possibly from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arawak_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArawak\u003c\/a\u003e words \u003cem\u003eora ubao\u003c\/em\u003e (\"well-situated\") or \u003cem\u003eoruba\u003c\/em\u003e (\"accompanied by wind\"); the Spanish also used \u003cem\u003eisla de oro\u003c\/em\u003e (island of gold), though no significant gold was found\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oranjestad,_Aruba\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOranjestad\u003c\/a\u003e — pop. ~35,000 (2023)\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dutch for \"Orange City,\" named after the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/House_of_Orange-Nassau\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHouse of Orange-Nassau\u003c\/a\u003e, the Dutch royal family\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~107,000 (UN 2023) — roughly the size of Peoria, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 180 km² (69 mi²) — roughly the size of Washington, D.C.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$37,000 (IMF est.) — one of the highest in the Caribbean\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tourism services (~90% of GDP); refined petroleum products (historically); aloe vera\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e None — island nation; nearest neighbors are \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venezuela\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVenezuela\u003c\/a\u003e (~29 km south) and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cura%C3%A7ao\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCuraçao\u003c\/a\u003e (~68 km east)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Papiamento\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePapiamento\u003c\/a\u003e (native creole, primary spoken language); Dutch (official, government and education); English and Spanish widely spoken\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aruban_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMixed Aruban\u003c\/a\u003e (predominantly Arawak, African, and European descent, ~75%); Dutch and other European (~15%); Latin American (~10%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kingdom_of_the_Netherlands\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKingdom of the Netherlands\u003c\/a\u003e (constituent country, 1986–date); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Caribbean_Community\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCARICOM\u003c\/a\u003e (observer); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Association_of_Caribbean_States\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eACS\u003c\/a\u003e (associate member)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eStatus Aparte\u003c\/em\u003e within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since \u003cstrong\u003e1 January 1986\u003c\/strong\u003e; not independent — Dutch citizens, Dutch passport, Dutch monarch as head of state\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this coin and hold the largest piece of Aruban circulation coinage — a 30 mm disc struck for just three years before the denomination was quietly retired. The year and mint mark you receive are a surprise; the quality is not.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52475833844023,"sku":"AWKM57XF","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/57ocopy.jpg?v=1781559536","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/aruba-2-1-2-florins-2-5-florins","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}