Commemorative Medal Celebrates 200 Years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

As Part of the celebrations which will begin next year, the Royal Dutch Mint have issued (30^th November) a commemorative medal which begins the official anniversary of Prince William of Orange’s arrival in Holland and the eventual proclamation of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815.

The Netherlands or Lowlands (named as such due to their low lying or below sea-level position on the river delta of the North Sea) has been home to a sea-faring people since before the time of Christ. When the Romans and written history arrived around 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire. The descendants of the Salian Franks eventually came to dominate the area, and from their speech the distinctive Dutch language arose. Over the centuries, the territory has been the subject of struggles and war resulting in domination and rule of Spain, Austria and France more recently. After a conflict known as the Eighty Years War against Spanish rule, the Dutch Republic emerged in 1648 with the Northern provinces uniting as a single entity. The southern provinces (present-day Belgium) remained under Hapsburg rule until they were absorbed into the Kingdom of Holland under Napoleon’s brother Louis in 1806 which included the Northern provinces as well. The kingdom itself was dissolved in 1810 by Napoleon after which the Netherlands were annexed by France until 1813. During the battles and political struggles, the Netherlands emerged as an economic super-power with commerce expanding and the United Provinces prospering. Amsterdam became the most important trading center in northern Europe During the Dutch Golden Age. The Dutch Republic, particularly Holland and Zeeland, became a veritable Dutch empire becoming a maritime power with a commercial, imperial and colonial reach that extended to Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. Before the final defeat of Napoleon, Prince Willem of Orange returned to the Netherlands from 18 years of exile on the 30^th November 1813 and headed a new government which eventually resulted in the proclamation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with Prince Willem of Orange as King Willem I in 1815.

The medal, which depicts the event of Prince Willem’s arrival in the coastal city of Scheveningen to the delight of the local citizens also includes commemorative text which reads “LANDING VAN DE PRINS VAN ORANJE” along with “SCHEVENINGEN 1813” both at the base of the primary design. The reverse design includes the official logo of the Bicentenary national committee which forms the primary design. The text “200 JAAR KONINKRIJK” and the commemorative years “1813 2013” appears in the upper right corner in two lines.

Struck in cupro-nickel to BU quality, the medal weighs 15.5 grams with a diameter of 33 mm. A total mintage is set at only 5,000 examples. The medal is packaged in the now-standard collector’s card which has been utilized for previous 5 Euro commemorative coins.

For more information on this and other coins offered by the Royal Dutch Mint, please visit their website at: http://www.knm.nl/Aankondigingspenning-200-jaar-Koninkrijk/nl/product/3045/ Orders to European destinations fulfilled.