Royal Dutch Mint Commemorates Two Anniversaries

100 Years of Aviation in Aruba

The Royal Dutch Mint has produced a commemorative coin to mark 100 years of aviation in Aruba, a centenary since two US Navy Curtiss H-16 long-range maritime patrol flying boats landed for the first time in Paardenbaai, or the Port of Oranjestad.

The design features an old seaplane flying over the harbour, which is depicted in the background. The outer edge of the coin is inscribed with ‘100th Anniversary Aruba Aviation’ and ‘1923 – 2023’ above and below the main design, respectively.

© Royal Dutch Mint.

A First Strike Ceremony for the collector’s coin was held at Queen Beatrix International Airport to commemorate the milestone, with over 300 people in attendance.

In attendance for the first strike were Aruba’s Minister of Finance & Culture, Xiomara Maduro; the Minister of Tourism & Public Health, Dangui Oduber; Minister of Transport, Integrity, Nature and Elderly Affairs, Ursell Arends; Aruba Airport CEO Joost Meijsl, and DCA Deputy Director Anthony Kirchner.

Commemorating 50 Years of the COC

The Dutch Mint has also produced a coin paying tribute to the work of LGBTI+ group COC, which celebrates 50 years of official recognition this year.

Established in 1946 as the Shakespeare Club, the COC (Cultuur- en Ontspannings Centrum) Nederland is the oldest still existing LGBTI+ movement in the world. Working under the current name since 1949, the COC officially received recognition – often referred to as ‘Royal Approval’ – from the Dutch government in September 1973. The recognition holds significance as it stands for the pursuit of equal treatment by the government.

RDM Mint Master Bert van Ravenswaaij, Miss Netherlands 2023 Rikkie Kollé, Co-Owner of Soestdijk Palace Maya Meijer-Bergmans. © Maartje Kuperus.

The unveiling of the commemorative coin took place at Soestdijk Palace, the location of the signing of the COC’s official recognition by former Queen Juliana in 1973. The current Miss Netherlands, Rikkie Kollé – the first trans woman in Dutch history to win the pageant – unveiled the new commemorative €5 silver coin. 

In addition to the silver coin, a gold €10 coin has also been minted.

Designed by contemporary Dutch artist Coen van Ham, the commemorative features whirling confetti as its main motif, with the different types of confetti representing the milestones that the COC has achieved. 

The obverse of the coin depicts a more abstract portrait of King Willem-Alexander, made up of swirling confetti and intended as a reference to the COC logo. The King's name is inscribed in a font specially designed for the coin. 

On the reverse of the coin are nine symbols in a semicircle border on the left of the coin, signifying the important benchmarks in the history of the COC, with the year of issue on the right side of the coin. The COC logo, the jubilee number 50 and the face value are placed in the centre of the coin. The surface of the coin is mirrored and the images are matt or ribbed, with the variation intended to evoke an impression of colour and movement.

© Royal Dutch Mint.

‘The coin beautifully depicts the results that the COC has been able to achieve over the past 50 years, thanks to the efforts of countless courageous pioneers’, said COC president Astrid Oosenbrug.