{"product_id":"sint-maarten-5-gulden-2025-unc","title":"Sint Maarten 5 Gulden 2025 UNC—Coat of Arms—Willem-Alexander—NOT Curaçao","description":"\u003cp\u003eA brand-new trimetallic circulation coin from Sint Maarten, issued \u003cstrong\u003eMarch 31, 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e — part of the \u003cstrong\u003eCaribbean Guilder (XCG)\u003c\/strong\u003e, currently the \u003cstrong\u003eworld's newest currency\u003c\/strong\u003e. Sint Maarten and Curaçao — two separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands — collaborated to jointly launch this currency after a \u003cstrong\u003e15-year wait\u003c\/strong\u003e. Struck at the \u003cstrong\u003eRoyal Canadian Mint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoin Characteristics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMint:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa, Canada\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jointly issued by Curaçao and Sint Maarten, two separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing bank:\u003c\/strong\u003e Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Willem-Alexander (2013-date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Standard circulation coin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYear:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eValue:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 Guilder (5 Gulden). 5 XCG = USD 2.79\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Caribbean guilder (gulden), ISO code \u003cstrong\u003eXCG\u003c\/strong\u003e — the world's newest currency, launched March 31, 2025. Locals tend to call it by the ISO code rather than \"Caribbean guilder\". The USD is also commonly used on the islands — businesses catering to visitors on Sint Maarten often price in USD, so tourists may never encounter XCG coins at all.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Trimetallic — steel core, steel middle ring, and steel outer ring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.5 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25.85 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Milled\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrientation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coin alignment ↑↓\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdge:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plain lettered — ★ \u003cem\u003eGOD ZIJ MET ONS\u003c\/em\u003e (God be with us)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssued:\u003c\/strong\u003e 31 March 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumista:\u003c\/strong\u003e N#462592\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn the front (Sint Maarten version):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of Arms of Sint Maarten\u003c\/strong\u003e — featuring a shield with a rising sun, the brown pelican, the Courthouse, the border monument, and the national flower orange-yellow sage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnder the shield: ribbon with the Latin inscription \u003cem\u003eSemper Pro Grediens\u003c\/em\u003e (always progressing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo \u003cstrong\u003eGreen Sea Turtles\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eChelonia mydas\u003c\/em\u003e) below the coat of arms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLettering:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 GULDEN SINT MAARTEN \/ 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn the back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEffigy of \u003cstrong\u003eKing Willem-Alexander\u003c\/strong\u003e facing right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLettering:\u003c\/strong\u003e WILLEM-ALEXANDER \/ KONING DER NEDERLANDEN (King of the Netherlands)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTwo Islands, One Currency — Like Euro Coins\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust as euro coins carry a country-specific design on one side but circulate freely across all eurozone countries, the Caribbean Guilder works the same way. Curaçao and Sint Maarten each issue their own versions of every coin — with different imagery on the obverse — but all coins are \u003cstrong\u003elegal tender on both islands\u003c\/strong\u003e and circulate interchangeably. This is the \u003cstrong\u003eSint Maarten version\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom Colony to Kingdom: The Long Road to the XCG\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of Sint Maarten's money is inseparable from the story of Dutch Caribbean politics — a saga of colonial transformation, economic pragmatism, and bureaucratic delay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBefore 1954:\u003c\/strong\u003e The six Dutch Caribbean islands formed the colony \u003cstrong\u003eCuraçao and Dependencies\u003c\/strong\u003e and used the \u003cstrong\u003eCuraçao Guilder\u003c\/strong\u003e, pegged to the Dutch guilder.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1954 — Autonomy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Renamed the \u003cstrong\u003eNetherlands Antilles\u003c\/strong\u003e, the islands launched the \u003cstrong\u003eNetherlands Antilles guilder\u003c\/strong\u003e (ANG), pegged to the U.S. dollar at \u003cstrong\u003e1 USD = 1.79 ANG\u003c\/strong\u003e — a peg that held for over 70 years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1986 — Aruba breaks away:\u003c\/strong\u003e Aruba seceded and launched its own currency, the \u003cstrong\u003eAruban florin\u003c\/strong\u003e (AWG).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e10\/10\/10 — October 10, 2010:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Netherlands Antilles was \u003cstrong\u003edissolved\u003c\/strong\u003e. Curaçao and Sint Maarten each became separate autonomous \u003cstrong\u003ecountries\u003c\/strong\u003e within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The constitutional arrangements of that day \u003cstrong\u003elegally mandated\u003c\/strong\u003e a new joint currency. Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius became special municipalities and switched to the \u003cstrong\u003eU.S. dollar\u003c\/strong\u003e in 2011.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2010–2019 — Stalled:\u003c\/strong\u003e Despite the legal mandate, neither country moved decisively. The two continued using the Netherlands Antilles guilder — a currency whose issuing country no longer existed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2019 — The real turning point:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not political will, but practicality forced the issue: \u003cstrong\u003eANG banknote reserves were running low\u003c\/strong\u003e. With no mechanism to reprint a defunct currency, the two countries finally committed to proceeding with the XCG.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarch 31, 2025 — The XCG arrives:\u003c\/strong\u003e After multiple delays, the \u003cstrong\u003eCaribbean Guilder\u003c\/strong\u003e (XCG) was finally launched, pegged to the U.S. dollar at \u003cstrong\u003e1 USD = 1.79 XCG\u003c\/strong\u003e — the same rate as the ANG it replaced. Netherlands Antilles guilders remain exchangeable through \u003cstrong\u003e2055\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52522377511223,"sku":"SXM-KM-500-U","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/500SXMor.jpg?v=1782408600","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/sint-maarten-5-gulden-2025-unc","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}