Coin Pièce Netherlands 1 gulden Silver Wilhelmina I 1940 Utrecht

The 1 Gulden Wilhelmina 1940 is a Dutch silver coin struck by the Utrecht Mint, one of the Netherlands' historic issuing institutions, recognisable by its distinctive mint mark on coins of this period.

This coin has a diameter of 28 millimetres and a weight of 10 grams, with a silver fineness of 720?, meaning 72% fine silver, in accordance with the Dutch monetary standards of the time. With a mintage of 21,300,000 pieces, this issue represents a relatively abundant strike for the year 1940.

The obverse of the coin features the portrait of Queen Wilhelmina I, sovereign of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. The year 1940 holds particular historical significance, as it corresponds to the invasion and occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany. Queen Wilhelmina, having taken refuge in London, continued to embody the resistance and legitimacy of the Dutch Crown from exile. The striking of this coin in 1940 thus takes place against a backdrop of major upheaval for the country.

The reverse displays the face value of 1 gulden, the monetary unit of the Netherlands that remained in use until the adoption of the euro in 2002. The overall composition of the coin, its inscriptions and the ornaments typical of early 20th-century Dutch coinage make it a direct witness to the numismatic and political history of the Netherlands under the reign of Wilhelmina I, whose effigy appeared on Dutch coins for several decades.