{"product_id":"aruba-50-cents","title":"Aruba KM#4 SQUARE COIN 50 cents 1986-2026 XF (Extra Fine, random year)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Aruba 50 Cent stands apart from every other denomination in the florin series — literally. While the 5, 10, and 25 cents are round, the 50 cent is struck in a distinctive \u003cstrong\u003esquare with rounded corners\u003c\/strong\u003e shape, making it instantly recognizable in any collection or pocket. Issued continuously since \u003cstrong\u003e1986\u003c\/strong\u003e, it carries the \u003cstrong\u003eCoat of Arms of Aruba\u003c\/strong\u003e on the obverse and a bold geometric reverse by \u003cstrong\u003eEvelino Fingal\u003c\/strong\u003e, unchanged across four decades and two monarchs. Year and mint mark are random; see the Varieties section for the full list of possible mint master marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\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\u003eCentral device:\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 — national arms with the state name \u003cem\u003eARUBA\u003c\/em\u003e above; date to the left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evelino Fingal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eReverse\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e bright nickel-silver; bold geometric design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e50 c\u003c\/em\u003e within a geometric pattern — abstract and modernist, consistent with the design language of the full florin series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evelino Fingal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\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\u003e1986–1987 — Anvil privy mark (Jan de Jong, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1989–2000 — Bow and arrow privy mark (Chris van Draanen, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2000–2001 — Bow and arrow with star (Erik Jan van Schouwenburg, Acting Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2001–2002 — Vine leaf and grapes (Robert Bruens, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2002–2003 — Vine leaf and grapes with star (Maarten Theodoor Brouwer, Acting Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2003–2015 — Sailboat (Maarten Theodoor Brouwer, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2015–2016 — Sailboat with star (Kees Bruinsma, Acting Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2017–2021 — Bridge (Stephan Satijn, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2022–date — Bird (Bert van Ravenswaaij, Mint Master)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e KM# 4; Schön# 4; Numista N#6840\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 5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24.5 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThickness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.94 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Square with rounded corners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdge:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plain\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\u003ch2\u003eThe Square Coin: A Shape with Purpose\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 50 cent's \u003cstrong\u003esquare-with-rounded-corners\u003c\/strong\u003e shape is not an accident or a gimmick — it is a deliberate design choice rooted in a long European tradition of using non-round shapes to distinguish higher denominations by touch alone. Blind and visually impaired users can immediately identify the 50 cent without reading it. The \u003cstrong\u003eRoyal Dutch Mint\u003c\/strong\u003e has a distinguished history of producing square and polygonal coins for the Netherlands and its territories, and the Aruban 50 cent sits squarely (literally) in that tradition. It is the only square coin in everyday Caribbean circulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Coin That Launched a Currency\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn \u003cstrong\u003e1 January 1986\u003c\/strong\u003e, Aruba achieved \u003cem\u003eStatus Aparte\u003c\/em\u003e — a separate status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, distinct from the Netherlands Antilles it had been part of since 1954. With that political separation came a new currency: the \u003cstrong\u003eAruban florin\u003c\/strong\u003e, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par. The 50 Cent was among the first coins struck, designed by \u003cstrong\u003eEvelino Fingal\u003c\/strong\u003e, an Aruban artist whose geometric reverse designs gave the new nation's coinage a distinctly modern, Caribbean identity. Every year since, the same design has been struck — only the year and the mint master's privy mark change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReading the Mint Marks: A Forty-Year Chronicle\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the quiet pleasures of collecting Aruban coinage is the \u003cstrong\u003emint master privy mark\u003c\/strong\u003e — a small symbol struck alongside the Utrecht mint's caduceus that identifies which mint master oversaw production that year. The series spans nine different marks across four decades: from the \u003cstrong\u003eanvil\u003c\/strong\u003e of Jan de Jong in the founding years (1986–1987), through the \u003cstrong\u003ebow and arrow\u003c\/strong\u003e of the long-serving Chris van Draanen (1989–2000), to the current \u003cstrong\u003ebird\u003c\/strong\u003e of Bert van Ravenswaaij (2022–date). Acting mint masters are identified by a \u003cstrong\u003estar\u003c\/strong\u003e added to the incumbent's mark — a Dutch numismatic tradition dating back centuries. The coin you receive will carry one of these marks; each is a small timestamp of Dutch minting history embedded in an Aruban coin.\u003c\/p\u003e\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\u003cp\u003eOwn this coin and hold a piece of one of the Caribbean's most successful small economies — the only square coin in everyday Caribbean circulation, a 24.5 mm nickel-plated statement that has outlasted currencies, governments, and mint masters since 1986, unchanged in design and unmistakable in the hand. 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":52475827519799,"sku":"AWKM4","price":4.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/4rcopy_62489d75-f6a4-4163-95d4-2c4fb80a89b5.jpg?v=1781558770","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/aruba-50-cents","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}