News item | 6/30/2023 | 09:34
The 200th anniversary of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Rescue Maatschappij (KNRM) and the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam will be the coin themes for 2024.
Every year, the Ministry of Finance issues two special coins for collectors. This honors special facts, events or persons that mean a lot to the Netherlands. Recent examples are the themes 150 years of Piet Mondrian and World Heritage Willemstad, Curaçao. The collector coins have a value of 5 or 10 euros and are legal tender in the Netherlands.
200 years KNRM
Last spring, everyone was able to propose a theme for the special coin for the year 2024. From the many responses, the State Secretary for Finance Marnix van Rij, who is responsible for the coin system, has opted for the 200th anniversary of the KNRM.
The KNRM is a charity that has been selflessly committed to helping and rescuing people and animals in need on and near the water since 1824. The KNRM comes to the rescue with lifeboats and coastal rescue vehicles and in recent years KNRM has brought approximately 4,000 people safely back ashore each year. The KNRM is financed by voluntary contributions and does not receive subsidies. KNRM’s 1,400 volunteers are selflessly committed to preventing casualties at sea, which is why the KNRM deserves to have its ‘own’ coin in the jubilee year 2024.
The ceremonial first minting for the 200th anniversary of the KNRM will take place in the first half of 2024 at a location yet to be determined.
750 years of Amsterdam
The State Secretary has also decided to issue a coin on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam. The jubilee year of the city will start in October 2024. In 1275 the name Aemstelledamme was first used for the village on the banks of the Amstel and the IJ where the first farmers and fishermen settled. Over the centuries, Amsterdam grew into the capital of the Netherlands. This important anniversary therefore deserves a coin. The coin will be minted and issued in the second half of 2024.
Design
The next step is that different artists are selected to create a design for one of the coins. State Secretary Van Rij announces the winning designs on the advice of a special committee, the Mint Advisory Committee.