626) The Stelling Van Amsterdam (Defense Line of Amsterdam), Netherlands: Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt) Latest "Dutch UNESCO Sites Series" coins in the denominations of €5 (Plated Copper), €5 (Silver) and €10 (Gold) issued on 21.11.2017:
The Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt) has issued gold and silver coins in Proof, Uncirculated, Brilliant Uncirculated varieties, in its popular "Dutch UNESCO Series", highlighting the many locations and landmarks recognised as UNESCO Heritage Sites in the Netherlands.
The €10 and €5 Stelling Van Amsterdam (Defense Line of Amsterdam) coins are the sixth issue in a 10-part Dutch World Heritage series begun in 2012. The series concludes in 2021.
The Defence Line of Amsterdam:
The 2017 coin (the 7th coin in the Series) features the Defense Line of Amsterdam, which is a 135-kilometre (83-mile) defense line surrounding the greater perimeter of Amsterdam.
The Reverse of the 5 Euro Silver coin as seen against a background image of the Fort at the Ossenmarkt
It was built between 1883 and 1914; the army, the government, and the Dutch Sovereign could withdraw within this secure ring around the greater city in the event of an attack on the Netherlands.
The Defense Line today consists of 42 forts and a large number of batteries, dikes, and locks at a distance of 15–20 kilometres (9–11 miles) from each fort.
The Defense Line of Amsterdam is a fine example of Dutch hydraulic engineering ingenuity with a clever system where the land around the line could be submerged under water if necessary (reminiscent of the flooding of the land in "The Forty-Five Guardsmen" by Alexandre Dumas when it was under enemy invasion).
This submersion would create a pond around the targeted area, not deep enough for ships, but also too deep for man and horse, thus serving as an effective deterrent and making an enemy invasion of the capital impossible.
However, even before the Defense Line was completed, it had already been made obsolete by the rise of the airplane and its use as an effective weapon during the First World War. This new mode of waging war deprived the line of its usefulness as a defense for the city and the home of the Dutch sovereign.
The Defense Line of Amsterdam was brought into a state of defense during the two world wars, although there was no need to actually fight on the forts (since it was a defense line made for an attack by enemies over land).
As airplanes were deployed during the First World War and the value of the Defense Line was drastically reduced, with the Nazi forces using paratroopers and superior forces who managed to conquer Netherlands in just four days in May 1940. This was more of a failure of the inter-war governments' attitude to its military strength, rather than a specific failing of the fort's defences.
Says the UNESCO book titled "Treasures of the World" in my personal library:
" Extending 135 km around the city of Amsterdam, this defence linewas built between 1883 and 1920 is a unique fortification using water. Since the sixteenth century, the people of The Netherlands have used theor expert knowledge of hydraulic engineering for defence purposes. Earlier defensive lines were strengthened and co-ordinated into the Stelling, a system based on the intricate polder system of the western part of the Netherlands. The centre of the country was protected by a network of forty-five armed forts acting in concert with temporary flooding from polders and an intricate system of canals and locks. The sites of the forts are directly linked with the existing infrastructure of roads, waterways, dykes and settlements and the main defence line runs mainly along pre-existing dykes.
From time immemorial, dykes, sluices and canals have been built in the Netherlands to drain the land. The Stelling van Amsterdam is of outstanding universal value because it elevated and integrated this activity into an extensive defensive system which survives intact to the present day".
The Defence Line was decommissioned in 1963 and the Fort network never saw combat service.
As airplanes were deployed during the First World War and the value of the Defense Line was drastically reduced, with the Nazi forces using paratroopers and superior forces who managed to conquer Netherlands in just four days in May 1940. This was more of a failure of the inter-war governments' attitude to its military strength, rather than a specific failing of the fort's defences.
Says the UNESCO book titled "Treasures of the World" in my personal library:
" Extending 135 km around the city of Amsterdam, this defence linewas built between 1883 and 1920 is a unique fortification using water. Since the sixteenth century, the people of The Netherlands have used theor expert knowledge of hydraulic engineering for defence purposes. Earlier defensive lines were strengthened and co-ordinated into the Stelling, a system based on the intricate polder system of the western part of the Netherlands. The centre of the country was protected by a network of forty-five armed forts acting in concert with temporary flooding from polders and an intricate system of canals and locks. The sites of the forts are directly linked with the existing infrastructure of roads, waterways, dykes and settlements and the main defence line runs mainly along pre-existing dykes.
From time immemorial, dykes, sluices and canals have been built in the Netherlands to drain the land. The Stelling van Amsterdam is of outstanding universal value because it elevated and integrated this activity into an extensive defensive system which survives intact to the present day".
The Defence Line was decommissioned in 1963 and the Fort network never saw combat service.
A large number of these valuable forts were assigned new functions:
For instance, the Fort at the Ossenmarkt was built to defend both the canal locks of the Amsterdam-Hilversum railway and the bridge over the Vecht. As a consequence, the Fort at the Ossenmarkt was restored some time ago.
At the entrance, the collection mechanism of the former bridge is still present, but the site, which is now a park, houses a garden shop, and the wooden artillery shed built in 1877 is now used as an exhibition space. In addition, a music school, various associations, and business premises are now located in the Fort at the Ossenmarkt.
The Commemorative Coins:
The new coins are designed by Kianoosh Motallebi and depict the fort on the Ossenmarkt as the central theme. This fortification was chosen because of its complementary form in relation to the coin.
The 5 Euro Silver coin against the backdrop of a Gun Battery position at the Fort at the Ossenmarkt
The Obverse of 10 Euro Gold Coin, which was introduced to this series in 2015, carries a stylized portrait of King Willem-Alexander, along with a miniature silhouette profile.
A legend is placed around the upper-right 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 royal house’s motto, "JE MAINTRENDAI" (meaning "I shall maintain" - written in French). Both gold and silver coins share the same designs.
The denomination "10 Euro" is inscribed in the upper right quadrant. A water symbol represents the complex to the upper left circle-marked "Stelling von Amsterdam, Netherlands 2017" and a pair of mintmarks towards the right periphery.
The specifications of the Gold coin are:
Denomination: €10 (Euro); Metal Composition: .900 Gold; Weight: 6.72 grams; Dimensions/Size: 22.5 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 1,000 pieces; Year of issue: 2017. Mint: Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt)
The Obverse of 5 Euro Gold Coin, which was introduced to this series in 2015, carries a stylized portrait of King Willem-Alexander, along with a miniature silhouette profile.
A legend is placed around the upper-right 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 royal house’s motto, "JE MAINTRENDAI" (meaning "I shall maintain" - written in French). Both gold and silver coins share the same designs.
On the Reverse of the 5 Euro Silver Coin is depicted the fascinating series of fortifications. An image of the key Ossenmarkt fort is placed in the centre and it is surrounded by three rings of inscriptions that list out the other forts in the network. The remaining 41 forts of the Defense Line are mentioned along the edge of the coin.
The circle with the names represents the 135-kilometer-long line of defense.The denomination "5 Euro" is inscribed in the upper right quadrant. A water symbol represents the complex to the upper left circle-marked "Stelling von Amsterdam, Netherlands 2017" and a pair of mintmarks towards the right periphery.
The circle with the names represents the 135-kilometer-long line of defense.The denomination "5 Euro" is inscribed in the upper right quadrant. A water symbol represents the complex to the upper left circle-marked "Stelling von Amsterdam, Netherlands 2017" and a pair of mintmarks towards the right periphery.
The specifications of the Silver coin are:
Denomination: €5 (Euro); Metal Composition: .925 Silver; Weight: 15.5 grams; Dimensions/Size: 33.5 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 5,500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017. Mint: Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt)
The Silver Proof version is presented in a colourful folder, and the coin is encapsulated to allow easy removal from the folder.
Denomination: €5 (Euro); Metal Composition: .925 Silver; Weight: 15.5 grams; Dimensions/Size: 33.5 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 5,500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017. Mint: Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt)
The specifications of the Plated Silver coin are:
Denomination: €5 (Euro); Metal Composition: Plated Copper; Weight: 10.5 grams; Dimensions/Size: 29.0 mm; Coin Quality: Uncirculated and Brilliant Uncirculated; Maximum Mintage: (Uncirculated) - 46,500 pieces and Brilliant Uncirculated - 15,000 pieces; Year of issue: 2017. Mint: Royal Dutch Mint (Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt)
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