Lot #660: Netherlands Antilles 1971 Ten Cent Coin - "NEDERLANDSE ANTILLEN" - Six Stars - Six Island Territories - Agave Leaves - Caduceus

Obverse: Features the Crowned Coat of Arms of the Netherlands Antilles. The shield contained six stars, representing the six island territories. The Motto, inscribed below, is the Latin phrase LIBERTATE UNANIMUS ("Unified by Freedom"). The Country Name "NEDERLANDSE ANTILLEN" ("Netherlands Antilles") arches over the top with the date 1971 at the bottom. Reverse: Displays the face value 10 CENT. The denomination is surrounded by six stars arranged in three groups of two. These stars represent the islands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. (Aruba would later leave the union in 1986). Beneath the value are the leaves of the Agave plant, a common sight in the arid landscapes of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). The Netherlands Antilles 1971 Ten Cent coin is a small but historically significant piece of the Dutch Caribbean. Struck in pure nickel during the reign of Queen Juliana, it represents the political union of six islands that once formed the Netherlands Antilles. This coin was minted at the Royal Dutch Mint in Utrecht, Netherlands, and displays tiny mint marks near the date: a Caduceus (the mint mark for Utrecht) and a Fish (the privy mark of Mint Master Marius van den Brandhof). This 1971 issue is a "snapshot" of the islands before the political changes caused by the departure of Aruba in 1986 to become a separate country within the Kingdom. Later versions of this coin (from 1989 onward) were redesigned to feature only five stars. This 1971 coin captures the original "Full Six" union. Dimensions: Nickel. 16 mm 2.0 g (small and light, similar to a Canadian or US dime) Pickup category timeslot {A}