Today André van Duin ceremonially struck the first coin celebrating 25 years of Pride Amsterdam at the Homomonument in Amsterdam. The Pride Ambassadors and other members of the LGBTIQ+ community were also present. The issue is available on the website of the Royal Dutch Mint.
Van Duin looks back positively on the First Strike: “During Pride Amsterdam we celebrate that we are free to be who we are in the Netherlands and we reflect on those who do not yet have this freedom. The coin nicely represents this.” Lucien de Spee, director of Pride Amsterdam, is also pleased with the result: “Pride is an exuberant and colourful protest that is passed on from generation to generation and that is exactly what the coin radiates”.Pride Amsterdam
Pride Amsterdam was first organised in 1996 by Gay Business Amsterdam. Initially, the event was intended to promote Amsterdam as a gay nightlife city and to celebrate the diversity of Amsterdam. Since then it has grown into a nine-day festival with all kinds of events, from dance parties and film festivals to sports, debate and culture, culminating in the Canal Pride. Moreover, an emancipatory character has been added to the festival, as there is still a lot to be gained in terms of acceptance and rights of the LGBTIQ+ community. Since 2019, Pride Amsterdam has been included in the Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands.
Design
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Royal Dutch Mint is minting three issues: a medal in coincard (part of the series “Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands”), a silver issue with coloured details and a gold issue. The rainbow flag, a symbol for the LGBTIQ+ community, features prominently on the issues. On obverse, a fist holds the flag militantly to represent the emancipatory character of the festival. The rainbow flag on the silver issue is coloured by hand. On the sides of the fist are the texts “Pride Amsterdam” and “25 Years”. The reverse shows the logo of the Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands. The silver and gold versions also come in a colourful case, with a Certificate of Authenticity. Order your issue now on our website!