The Royal Dutch Mint has launched the latest coins in their ongoing Dutch UNESCO heritage sites series, first launched in 2012.
The 2015-dated coins feature the Netherlands’ most important industrial national heritage site, the former Van Nelle Factory, located on the Delfhavense Schie in the city of Rotterdam. As recently as 1995, coffee, tea, and tobacco were produced here, but today the building accommodates a number of different companies.
The iconic building once referred to as a ‘poem in steel and glass’ was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. Built between 1927 and 1930, it was an icon of post World War I modern architecture in the Netherlands. The ‘Nieuwe Bouwen,’ as it is called in Dutch, was inspired by the architecture of Le Corbusier. Characteristic of this ‘Nieuwe Bouwen’ is the use of modern materials and construction materials that create transparent, spacious, and clear spaces.
The factory was designed by the architects Brinkman & Van der Vlugt in cooperation with design engineer Ir. J.G. Wiebenga. The Van Nelle Factory was ahead of its time with regard to its outstanding workspace design, which incorporated transparent metal constructions and large glass windows to offer occupants a feeling of brightness and spaciousness. This result is further strengthened by the fact that the building’s pillars, rather than its facades, support the construction. The designers also made sure there were no basements, discouraging offices underground and ensuring one worked in a building filled with light, air, and space. Showers were installed on the roof and there was even a tennis court built for all the employees of Van Nelle to use.
The Van Nelle factory produced tobacco, coffee, and tea until 1995, when production was halted. It was purchased in 1987 by the parent company that produces Sara Lee pastries and Douwe Egberts coffee, and the new owners embarked on new ways to use the building. The factory changed hands again in 1998, when it was bought by the Ontwerpfabriek Company. They shaped the former factory into the dynamic premises it is today, providing offices and rented spaces for creative entrepreneurs.
The coins are designed by Kianoosh Motallebi, who will also design the next two coins in the series. The obverse of the coin includes a three-quarters facing stylized portrait of King Willem-Alexander to the left side, along with a miniature silhouette profile. A legend is placed around the upper and right side edge of the coin. A medal and crown are found at the bottom of the design, slightly to the right. The image of the medal includes a portion of the motto of the Royal House JE MAINTRENDAI.
The reverse design includes a contemporary rendition of the Van Nelle factory that emphasizes its skyline. The texts DE VAN NELLE FABRIEK and NEDERLANDS WERELDERFGOED are arranged as two lines under the primary design. As the coin is part of a series featuring Dutch UNESCO sites, the organization’s logo can be seen just under the text on the reverse. The coins also incorporate a new micro-raster minting technique, which is utilized in the surrounding leaf designs along the edge above and below the primary design.
| Denomination | Metal | Weight | Diameter | Quality | Mintage |
| 5 EURO | Silver plated | 10.5 grams | 29 mm. | BU | 15,000 pieces |
| 5 EURO | .925 silver | 15.5 grams | 33 mm. | Proof | 12,500 pieces |
| 10 EURO | .900 gold | 6.72 grams | 22.5 mm. | Proof | 1500 pieces |
These latest 5 & 10 euro coins are the fourth a series of nine commemorative issues celebrating Dutch UNESCO Heritage, scheduled to conclude in 2020. This is also the last official commemorative coin of 2015 from the Royal Dutch Mint. For additional information on this and other coins offered by the Royal Dutch Mint, please visit their Web site. Information is offered in Dutch, with orders to European destinations dispatched where applicable.
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