ONLY 1,100 MINTED!
KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS - CONSTITUENT COUNTRY OF ARUBA
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REIGN OF QUEEN BEATRIX (1980 - ABDICATED APRIL 30, 2013)
CELEBRATING THE 500th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF ARUBA (1499-1999) "TRADITION WITH VISION"
100 GOLD FLORINS CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 69 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: FACING PORTRAIT BUST LEFT OF AMERIGO VESPUCCI WITH MASTED WOODEN SAILING SHIP RIGHT OVER A MAP OF THE LESSER ANTILLES; DENOMINATION TOP RIGHT.
REV: COMBINED SPANISH FAN AND ABORIGINAL PRE-COLUMBIAN DESIGN; ANNIVERSARY DATES BELOW.
KM # 19
ITALIAN BORN EXPLORER, CARTOGRAPHER, NAVIGATOR AND FINANCIER, AMERIGO VESPUCCI (1456-1512), AND ALONSO de OJEDA (1466/8-1515), SPANISH NAVIGATOR, CONQUISTADOR AND GOVERNOR, WERE THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO LEARN OF ARUBA DURING THEIR EXPEDITION DURING THE SUMMER OF 1499. ARUBA HAD BEEN SETTLED BY THE CAQUETIOS AMERINDS AS EARLY AS 1,000 AD. VESPUCCI BOASTED OF DISCOVERING THE ISLAND BUT WAS PROBABLY SHOWN THE LOCALE BY NATIVE GUIDES FROM NEIGHBORING ISLANDS, AND DESCRIBED ARUBA AND ITS INHABITANTS AND ISLAND OF GIANTS. OJEDA CALLED THE ISLAND ORO HUBO (IT HAD GOLD). VESPUCCI BROUGHT COTTON AND BRAZILWOOD BACK TO SPAIN FROM ARUBA AND THE SPANISH COLONIZED THE ISLAND SOON AFTER. GOLD WASN'T DISCOVERED ON THE ISLAND FOR ANOTHER 300 YEARS, OJEDA BEING APPOINTED THE FIRST GOVERNOR IN 1508. ARUBA HAS BEEN UNDER DUTCH REGULATION SINCE 1629 AND ADMINISTERED BY THE NETHERLANDS FROM 1636. PETER STUYVESANT (1612-1672), APPOINTED LATER GOVERNOR OF NEW AMSTERDAM (NEW YORK), WAS THE FIRST DUTCH GOVERNOR.
CONTAINS 6.72 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.1945 OZ AGW)
22.5 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 1,100 MINTED!
ROYAL DUTCH MINT - UTRECHT
