New master takes charge at Dutch mint
In mid-September, Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt [The Royal Dutch Mint] announced the appointment of a new mintmaster. The past two years have seen a considerable shakeup in The Netherland’s mint. In…
In mid-September, Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt [The Royal Dutch Mint] announced the appointment of a new mintmaster.
The past two years have seen a considerable shakeup in The Netherland’s mint. In November last year it was sold to private enterprise. A year earlier Maarten Brouwer stepped down from his position as mintmaster and general manager. For the past 22 months Kees Bruinsma and, subsequently, Ted Peters have served as acting mintmasters.
The new master is Stephan Satijn. He arrives with considerable experience in the international business community as well as having worked since 2011 as alderman responsible for economic affairs and infrastructure in the municipality of Venlo. It is anticipated that he will provide a much needed steady hand at the mint’s wheel.
He has also brought a new mintmaster privy mark. Up until now the 2017 Dutch euro coins have carried the clipper ship and star of Ted Peters. On Oct. 17 the mint announced that Satijn had chosen the Sint Servaasbrug (St. Servatius Bridge) to be his mark. All Dutch euro coins struck on or after Thursday, Oct. 19 will bear this mark. They will be the only circulating euro coins struck in 2017 to do so.
Sint Servaasbrug is an arched stone footbridge across the Meuse River in Maastricht. Despite having to be almost entirely rebuilt after World War II it still claims to be the oldest bridge in the Netherlands.
To mark the arrival of the new mintmaster the mint has issued a comprehensive transition set of current Dutch coins available in both BU and proof.
Five eight-coin sets are involved: 2015 with Maarten Brouwer’s Sailing Clipper mark, 2015 with Kees Bruinsma’s Sailing Clipper with star, 2016 with Kees Bruinsma’s Sailing Clipper with star, 2017 Ted Peters’s Sailing Clipper with star, and 2017 Stephan Satijn’s Sint Servaasbrug mark.
The 2015 coins of Acting Mintmaster Kees Bruinsma struck with his privy mark were produced late in 2015 but never issued until now. They are available solely as part of the comprehensive set.
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More Collecting Resources
• The Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700 is your guide to images, prices and information on coins from so long ago.
• Order the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, General Issues to learn about circulating paper money from 14th century China to the mid 20th century.
