3916) Curaçao and Sint Maarten introduced a new currency, the Caribbean guilder, on March 31, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG): Date/Year of the Caribbean Guilder introduced: 31.03.2025:
The new Curacao and Sint Maarten Banknotes have a “World Under the Sea” theme with front imagery of marine life and symbols for the unity of the two countries, while the Back highlights historical and cultural figures.
Users may continue to use ANG through June 30, though change will be given in Caribbean guilder.
The new Banknote Series introduction:
After years of planning, the Caribbean Guilder (XCG) is finally here replacing the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG), which had been in use since 1952.
This new currency marks a major step forward for Curaçao and Sint Maarten as they modernise their financial system and reinforce their shared economic identity.
To ensure stability, the Caribbean guilder maintains the same fixed exchange rate to the US dollar as its predecessor (US$1 = XCG 1.79).
The switch from ANG to XCG is on a one-to-one basis, meaning both currencies hold the same value during the transition.
Both the old and new guilders will circulate together for the first three months. After this dual circulation period, only the Caribbean guilder will remain legal tender.
Residents with bank accounts can continue to exchange their old guilders at commercial banks for up to a year, until March 31, 2026.
After that, exchanges will only be possible through the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS), which will accept them until March 31, 2055.
The New Banknotes:
The new banknotes and coins were inspired by Caribbean marine life and culture.
One side features sea creatures native to the region, while the other highlights historical and cultural landmarks/figures of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Denominations include 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 Caribbean guilders in banknotes and coins from 1 cent to 5 guilders.
Security has been a top priority in the design. The Banknotes include updated anti-counterfeiting features like watermarks, holograms, and tactile markers for people with visual impairments.
Curaçao and Sint Maarten have shared a monetary union since becoming autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010.
The introduction of the Caribbean Guilder strengthens this partnership and supports a more efficient monetary policy between the two countries.
Aruba and Bonaire, however, are not part of this change and will continue to use their currencies.
To help everyone adjust smoothly, CBCS launched the “My Caribbean Guilder” mobile app, which explains the new banknotes, coins, and security features. More information is also available on the official Caribbean Guilder website.
The introduction of the Caribbean Guilder is more than just a currency change. It’s a new chapter in the region’s financial future, based on shared vision and economic progress.
The Caribbean Guilder encompasses five new banknotes and seven coins that hold the same value as the former ANG.
Travelers may continue to use ANG through June 30, though change will be given in Caribbean guilder. They will have through March 31, 2026 to exchange ANG for the new currency at commercial banks, and through March 31, 2055 to do so at the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS).
The two countries have had a shared currency since becoming autonomous nations within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, in 2010. ANG was used across the former Netherland Antilles, and Curaçao and Sint Maarten have now agreed upon this shared central bank and single currency of the Caribbean guilder.
n 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. It was then decided that the two countries would form a monetary union with a shared central bank and one currency - the Caribbean guilder. This new currency replaces the Netherlands-Antillean guilder that was in circulation on the former islands of the Netherlands Antilles.
The Caribbean Guilder (Cg) is introduced in the monetary union on March 31, 2025.
The denominations of the New Caribbean Guilder:
Ten Caribbean Guilder Banknote:
The 10 Caribbean Guilder Banknote is predominantly yellow and features the Gray Angelfish on the front and the Lighthouse on Klein Curaçao on the back.
Each Cg banknote has a distinct colour. The colour of the Cg 10 banknote is predominantly yellow.
The Gray Angelfish can grow up to 60 centimeters in length. This species has a disc-shaped body with a relatively large head.
Adult gray angelfish are light gray with black spots throughout, while their heads are light gray with an even lighter mouth.
Juveniles, on the other hand, are black with five bright yellow stripes running vertically down their bodies. Juveniles are usually found on the reef or in seagrass beds, working at "cleaning stations" like cleaning shrimp also do, ridding larger fish of parasites.
Adults typically inhabit reefs and can be found at depths reaching 30 meters.
The Queen Conch is a species of snail that lives primarily in seagrass beds and on sand flats and can grow quite large.
Adult snails can reach about 35 centimeters in length. These snails are herbivorous, feeding on plant material found between the seagrasses.
The queen conch is becoming increasingly rare in many parts of the Caribbean because its meat is considered a delicacy and is often found on plates.
That is why there are several initiatives to breed them in captivity for food production or to release them back into the wild. There are hardly any true adults left in the inland waters of Curaçao.
Visual highlights Back:
The Klein Curaçao Lighthouse is an iconic building that can be seen from afar as one approaches the small island by boat.
The closer one gets to the island, the clearer it becomes that even in these modern times, such a lighthouse is essential to avoid the flat Klein Curaçao by boat.
The lighthouse is equipped with an LED light that warns nearby ships at night of the small island's dangerous coastline.
The building is an official landmark constructed in 1877 as a result of the large number of shipwrecks that occurred at that time, after the destruction of the previous lighthouse by a hurricane that year. Since then, the lighthouse has been rebuilt and renovated several times. It is now empty and open to tourists.
Twenty Caribbean (Cg) Guilder:
The 20 Caribbean Guilder (Cg) Banknote is predominantly blue and features the Spotted Eagle Ray on the front and Simpson Bay on the back.
Visual highlights front:
With a wingspan that can reach nearly three meters, the Spotted Eagle Ray is one of the larger ray species in our waters.
It is easily recognised by its dark background adorned with numerous white spots and a completely white belly.
These rays have a long, pointed tail equipped with several venomous spines.
Among other things, these rays eat bivalves and search for them in sandy bottoms. They dig into the sand and sometimes wave it away with their "wings." They also eat crabs, hermit crabs, and snails such as the queen conch.
Spotted eagle rays are very social and often swim in small groups.
Yellow Cowries are sea snails found in most tropical seas.
In the past, various cowry species played significant roles in trade and culture.
Cowrie shells were historically used as currency, particularly in China, Africa, New Guinea, and Indonesia.
The ships of the United East India Company (In Dutch, "VOC") traded in cowry shells, particularly the “money cowry” shells that represented monetary value, and used them as a means of payment, including for the purchase of enslaved individuals.
Today, they are primarily valued as collectibles and used in jewellery. Snails have highly specific diets that vary among species. Some are carnivorous, some herbivorous, and others omnivorous.
They have a unique feeding structure called a “radula” in their mouth, which functions like teeth, grazing surfaces and cutting food.
Visual highlights Back:
Through the middle of Simpson Bay Lagoon runs the border between the Dutch and French parts of St. Maarten.
Since 2014, part of the lagoon has been an internationally protected area. This protection is important because the seagrass beds in the lagoon are vulnerable.
Sint Maarten's international airport, the Princess Juliana International Airport, is located near Simpson Bay.
Sailing yachts and other vessels regularly seek shelter in the lagoon as storms and hurricanes move through the Caribbean.
Fifty Caribbean Guilder (Cg):
The 50 Caribbean guilder note is predominantly green and features the Green Sea Turtle on the front and Grote Knip Beach on the back.
Visual highlights front:
The Green Sea Turtle is found in all tropical and subtropical seas around the world, including the Caribbean. The green sea turtle is a herbivore and eats mainly sea grass.
The turtles ensure that the seagrass does not grow too long and choke itself.
This allows the seagrass ecosystem to maintain its main functions namely as a nursery for many marine animals.
The green sea turtle is therefore a keystone species, playing a vital role in keeping our oceans healthy. Male turtles never return to land.
Females only come ashore to lay eggs. Turtle females make several nests a year. Turtles are protected and endangered worldwide.
The Favoured Tellin. This bivalve snail species is found throughout the Caribbean, mainly at depths of up to 30 metres.
The shells, created by the snails themselves, can be quite large, with some reaching about 8 centimeters in diameter.
The shell is cream to white in color with closely spaced, slightly raised ridges.
The inside of the shell is yellow. The two halves of the shell usually fit tightly together and are often covered with algae and other organisms, providing excellent camouflage on the reef.
This species filters food from the seawater by sucking in water, filtering it, and then “spitting out” clean water.
Visual highlights Back:
Grote Knip Beach: Curaçao is known for its relatively small beaches tucked away in cozy coves.
Even Grote Knip Beach is situated in such a bay. The sand on the beaches is made up, among other things, of the droppings of algae-eating fish and other marine organisms.
As these fish scrape algae from coral stones and limestone rocks, they also remove small pieces of limestone.
This material is later excreted as small lime pellets, which eventually accumulate on the beach as white sand through wave action.
Parrotfish are among the species responsible for this process.
One Hundred Caribbean Guilder (Cg):
The 100 Caribbean guilder note is predominantly red and features the Stoplight Parrotfish on the front and the Courthouse on the back.
Visual highlights front:
Stoplight Parrotfish are often referred to as the cows of the coral reef.
They use their sharp mouthparts to scrape algae off the coral, preventing harmful algae overgrowth. This behavior also continually contributes to the white sand on our beaches. Parrotfish can grow quite large.
There is a marked difference in appearance between juveniles and adults. Juvenile males and females are typically greenish gray with a checkered pattern and a bright red belly.
Adult males, on the other hand, are brightly colored, yellowish-green and blue with orange and yellow stripes. The females can change into males during their lifetime.
This sex change depends on factors such as population composition, male mortality, and other environmental influences.
The Common Music Volute is a species of snail found in the Caribbean, known for creating a shell into which it can retreat.
Underwater, this shell is often covered with algae and other organisms, providing excellent camouflage in the sand or on the coral reef.
If you happen to find one on the beach, which is increasingly rare, you will notice a pattern of stripes on the shell that resembles sheet music, giving the snail its name.
The carnivorous snail is a proficient hunter, feeding at various depths underwater. It feeds on other snail species, shrimp and sometimes carrion.
Visual highlights Back:
The Courthouse is a national symbol of the country and is depicted on the national flag.
The building also features prominently on the National Coat of Arms of Sint Maarten.
The original courthouse was constructed in 1793 and has been remodelled and renovated several times. Tropical storms and hurricanes have often caused extensive damage to the building.
Over the centuries since its original construction, it has served various purposes, including as a police station and a prison.
Two Hundred Caribbean Guilder Cg):
The 200 Caribbean Guilder Banknote is predominantly purple and features the Longsnout Seahorse on the front and the Queen Emma Bridge on the back.
Visual highlights front:
The Longsnout Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) can reach a length of 10 centimeters to 15 centimeters. Their color can vary considerably, ranging from black to orange-red, and occasionally yellow.
They feed by sucking in small crustaceans and shrimp with their snout, which acts like a pipette.
Seahorses can move their eyes independently, enabling them to detect prey or predators in their environment.
The pairs are monogamous and perform a courtship ritual every morning to reaffirm their bond.
Seahorses are also known for the unique brood care provided by the males. The fertilized eggs are carried in a pouch on the male, where they can develop in relative safety. When the young hatch, they swim out of the pouch, creating the illusion that the male is giving birth to the young.
These animals are rare and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
The Giant Tun Shell (Tonna galea) is a large snail with a maximum length of about 15 centimeters. The shell is round in shape, dark brown to reddish brown in color, with deep furrows and ridges on the outside.
This snail species too is carnivorous and preys mainly on sea cucumbers.
To catch its prey, the snail uses its two proboscises, elongated structures on its head that resemble a pair of antennae. These are used to grab the prey and inject a digestive enzyme to kill it. The same approach is also used to deter predators in case of danger.
Visual highlights Back:
The Queen Emma Bridge. Curaçao’s historic downtown, Willemstad, consists of Punda and Otrobanda.
These two halves of the city center lie on opposite sides of the long mouth of the St. Anna Bay.
To connect the two, the first version of the Queen Emma Bridge was constructed by Leonard Burlington Smith in 1888.
Because the bridge needed to open regularly to allow larger vessels to pass, it was built on floating pontoons.
Since its original construction, the bridge has been renovated several times, slightly changing its appearance. However, the basic design with the 16 pontoons on which it floats has remained the same. The bridge is still affectionately known as the Swinging Old Lady.
(The above Banknotes are from the collection of Jayant Biswas. Post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
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