The (sometimes called
Guilder in
English ), represented by the symbol ƒ or fl., was the name of the
Currency used in the
Netherlands from the
15th Century until
1999 , when it was replaced by the
Euro (coins and notes were not introduced until
2002 ).
Guldens are still in use in the
Netherlands Antilles , a Dutch dependency, although distinct from the Netherlands gulden. In
2004 , the
Suriname Gulden was replaced by the
Suriname Dollar .
The name "gulden" was derived from "gouden" (golden) or "verguld" (gilded).
The exact exchange rate, still relevant for old contracts and for exchange of the legacy currency for euros at the central bank, is 2.20371 Dutch gulden (NLG) for 1 euro (EUR). Inverted, this gives EUR 0.453780 for NLG 1.
Guilder is also a
Fictional nation in the book ''
The Princess Bride '', as is
Florin .
In the Netherlands, both
Gold and
Silver gulden coins were issued. In the
18th Century , the silver gulden was divided into 20 ''
Stuiver s'', each of 8 ''
Duit '' or 16 ''penning''. At various times, other coins derived from the guilder emerged. Among them were the ''
Daalder '' of one and a half gulden (30 stuivers) and the ''
Rijksdaalder '' of two and a half gulden (50 stuivers). The names were derived from the
German ''
Thaler ''.
The symbol ƒ or fl. for the Dutch gulden was derived from another old currency, the
Florijn .
Following the
Napoleonic Wars , the Netherlands decimalized, with one gulden equal to 100 cents. However, some of the new, decimal coins continued to bear nicknames based on their values in the older currency system.
The with its four shields in the
1849 design. This translation was then borrowed to refer similarly to the Dutch florin and guilder. As a result, currencies in the guilder-based
Aruba and
Netherlands Antilles are still referred to as "盾".
At the time of withdrawal, the following denominations were circulating, the 1 cent coin having been withdrawn in
1983 :
- - Nickname :
- --- 5 cent - ''stuiver''
- --- 10 cent - ''dubbeltje'' (doubler - because this comprises of two stuivers)
- --- 25 cent - ''kwartje'' (quarter)
- --- 100 cent / 1 gulden - ''gulden'', ''piek''
- --- 250 cent / 2.50 gulden - ''rijksdaalder'', colloquially ''riks'' or ''knaak'', not to be confused with the older valued ''daalder'' (1.50 gulden)
- --- 500 cent / 5.00 gulden - ''vijfje''
All the coins carried a profile image of the Queen on the heads side and a simple grid on the other side.
- - nickname:
- --- 10 gulden - ''tientje'', ''joet''
- --- 25 gulden - ''geeltje''
- --- 50 gulden - ''zonnebloem'' ( Sunflower )
- --- 100 gulden - ''honderdje'', ''meier / later: snip ( Common Snipe )''
- --- 250 gulden - ''vuurtoren'' ( Lighthouse )
- --- 1000 gulden - ''duizendje'', ''(rooie) rug / rooi(tj)e''
At the time of withdrawal, all but the 50 and 250 gulden notes had been issued in a new revision that was the same colour as the older, long-serving notes but with a mostly abstract pattern, featuring a different bird for each denomination.
Persons depicted on older banknotes:
- ƒ 5 - poet Joost Van Den Vondel (until the note was replaced by a ƒ 5 coin)
- ƒ 10 - painter Frans Hals
- ƒ 25 - composer Jan Petersz. Sweelinck
- ƒ 100 - admiral Michiel De Ruyter (This being the most profitable note to couterfeit it was first replaced by a note featuring the common snipe. This not was of a similar design as the newly introduced 50 and 250 gulden notes; and was again replaced by an abstract design in the last series of gulden notes)
- ƒ 1000 - philosopher Baruch D'Spinoza
These 1970's "face"-notes and the 80's ƒ 50 (sunflower), ƒ 100 (snipe) and ƒ 250 (lighthouse) were designed by
R.D.E. Oxenaar .
Eventually all faces were to be replaced by abstracts, designed by
Jaap Drupsteen , see above.
Again earlier, there was a banknote of ƒ 2.50, and longer ago, one of ƒ 1.
The coins (not including the 1 cent, or the silver versions of the 1 or 2.5 gulden, but including the cupronickel versions of the 1 and 2.5 gulden, and also the 50 gulden commemorative coins) remain exchangeable for euros at branches of the Netherlands Central Bank until January 1, 2007. Banknotes valid at the time of conversion to the euro may be exchanged there until January 1, 2032.
