Netherlands Antillean guilder facts for kids

The Netherlands Antillean guilder (called gulden in Dutch and florin in Papiamentu) is the money used in Curaçao and Sint Maarten. It is divided into 100 smaller parts called cents. Until 2010, this money was also used in Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius.

On January 1, 2011, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius started using the United States dollar instead of the guilder. For Curaçao and Sint Maarten, a new money called the Caribbean guilder was planned. However, this plan has been delayed many times. The new Caribbean guilder is now expected to be launched around March 31, 2025.

Quick facts for kids Netherlands Antillean guilder
Modern 10 guilder note, in circulation 2009 Modern 100 guilder note, in circulation 2009
ISO 4217 Code	ANG
User(s)	Curaçao and  Sint Maarten (scheduled to end on 30 June 2025)  Netherlands Antilles until 10 October 2010 Script error: The function "" does not exist. until 1 January 2011
Inflation	3.6%
Source	Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen, 2006 Q1
Method	CPI
Pegged with	U.S. dollar = ƒ1.79
Subunit
1⁄100	cent
Symbol	NAƒ, NAf, ƒ or f
Plural	guilders
cent	cents
Coins	1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cent, ƒ1, ƒ2+1⁄2, ƒ5
Banknotes
Freq. used	ƒ10, ƒ25, ƒ50, ƒ100
Printer	Joh. Enschedé

What's in a Name?

In Papiamentu, the language spoken in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, the guilder is called a "florin."

The special code for the Netherlands Antillean guilder is ANG. The "AN" comes from the old code for the Netherlands Antilles. The "G" stands for "Gulden." Sometimes, people use NAFl as a shorter name, which means "Netherlands Antilles Florin."

History of the Guilder

Early Money in the Antilles

In the 1700s, the Dutch guilder was used in the Netherlands Antilles. In 1794, special coins were made just for the Dutch islands in the West Indies. Back then, one guilder was worth 20 stuiver.

Between 1799 and 1828, a different money called the reaal was used. One reaal was equal to 6 stuiver. In 1828, the Dutch guilder came back, and it was divided into 100 cents.

Local Money for Curaçao

Later, money was made specifically for Curaçao. The first banknotes appeared in 1892, and coins came out in 1900. These were based on the Dutch money system. The name "Netherlands Antilles" was first used for the money in 1952.

Changes and New Currencies

In 1940, during World War II, the Netherlands was occupied by Germany. Because of this, the Netherlands Antillean guilder was no longer linked to the Dutch money. Instead, it was linked to the United States dollar. One US dollar was worth about 1.88585 guilders. In 1971, this changed slightly to 1.79 guilders for one dollar.

In 1986, Aruba became a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba then started using its own money, called the Aruban florin. It replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder at the same value.

In 2011, a year after the Netherlands Antilles officially split up, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius started using the United States dollar. The Netherlands Antillean guilder was no longer valid money in those islands.

The Future of the Guilder

Curaçao and Sint Maarten planned to get a new currency. However, as of late 2020, they still use the Antillean guilder. The old banknotes and coins need to be replaced soon. There has been talk that these islands might even decide to use the euro or the US dollar instead of creating their own new money.

In November 2019, Curaçao's Finance Minister confirmed that the Caribbean guilder would be introduced. The Central Bank announced this again a year later. The new guilder has faced several delays. It is now expected to be launched on March 31, 2025.

Coins of the Antilles

A one cent coin from 1998.

In 1794, silver coins were made for the Dutch West Indies. They came in values like 2 stuiver, 1/4, 1, and 3 guilders. When the Dutch guilder returned in 1828, some 1-guilder coins were cut into quarters and marked with a "C" to make 1/4-guilder coins.

In the early 1900s, silver 1/10 and 1/4-guilder coins were introduced. They were used alongside Dutch coins. After the link to Dutch money was broken in 1940, new coins were made. These included a bronze 1-cent coin in 1942 and a cupro-nickel 5-cent coin in 1943.

From 1952, the coins started to say "Nederlandse Antillen" (Netherlands Antilles) on them. In 1970, nickel replaced silver in the coins. In 1989, new coins were introduced using different metals. For example, 1 and 5 cents were made of aluminum. The 5-guilder coin, made of gold-colored steel, was introduced in 1998.

			The five-guilder coin is made of gold-colored steel. It has eight sides to help you tell it apart from the similar one-guilder coin. One side shows Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the other has the coat of arms of the Netherlands Antilles.
			The one-guilder coin is also made of gold-colored steel. One side shows Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the other has the coat of arms of the Netherlands Antilles.
			The 50-cent coin has a unique diamond shape. It is the only modern Antillean coin with this shape.

Banknotes of the Antilles

In 1892, the Curaçaosche Bank (Curaçao Bank) started printing money. They made notes for 25 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 1/2 guilders. Later, in 1900, they printed notes for 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 guilders.

From 1954, the name "Nederlandse Antillen" appeared on the back of the banknotes. In 1962, the bank's name changed to the Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen (Bank of the Netherlands Antilles).

New designs for banknotes were introduced in 1969. These notes showed the Statuut monument on the front. On the back, they featured a new coat of arms. The 500 guilder note was stopped after 1962. The 5 and 250 guilder notes were stopped after 1998. The 5 guilder note was replaced by a coin.

The 10 guilder note shows a hummingbird. It has special security features like a foil tag and a hidden hologram.	The 25 guilder note features a Caribbean flamingo. It also has a foil tag and a hidden hologram for security.	The 50 guilder note has a rufous-collared sparrow on it. It includes a foil tag and a hidden hologram to prevent faking.	The 100 guilder note shows a bananaquit. It has a foil tag and a hidden hologram as security features.

See Also

• Economy of the Netherlands Antilles
• Central banks and currencies of the Caribbean