EpilepsieNL Medal in Coincard

Did you know that in the Netherlands more than 200.000 people have epilepsy? With epilepsy, there is a temporarily malfunction in the brain. This causes an epileptic seizure. Seizures can look very different. One person stares straight ahead or shows strange behavior and the other person falls down, is unconscious and shakes with arms and legs.
 
At first glance it does not always show that someone is suffering from epilepsy. Yet, epilepsy brings a lot of fear and uncertainty: it can control a life completely. A seizure is almost always unexpected and can happen at any time, including in traffic or while cooking. In collaboration with EpilepsieNL, the Royal Dutch Mint launches a special issue. The EpilepsieNL coincard focuses on more visibility of the condition, because it is not always noticeable that someone has epilepsy. The coincard increases visibility for both epilepsy and the organization. Every year, the Royal Dutch Mint launches an issue for a good cause. After the Mentelity Foundation, KWF Fight Cancer and the ALS foundation, EpilepsieNL was chosen. At the Royal Dutch Mint, we believe it’s important to generate more attention for epilepsy.
 
EpilepsieNL
EpilepsieNL is a strong organization with only one goal: making the life of people with epilepsy better. This is done through research into epilepsy, but also through education, recruitment and connecting people. The organization celebrates its 130^th anniversary in 2023: a long period in which many steps have already been taken. But EpilepsieNL keeps going and is committed to do more research into treatments and better quality of life for people with epilepsy.
 
Two medals in coincard
The EpilepsieNL coincard consists of not one but two medals. Part of people with epilepsy can’t be alone either. They need a healthy person at their side to help them when a seizure occurs. On the obverse of both medals, the head of a girl is shown; the brain is visible. On the left medal is an image of a person’s brain without epilepsy. The right medal shows the same brain, but with UV-colored dots. This is the brain of a person with epilepsy. The dots show the malfunctions in the brain, that occur with people who have epilepsy. On the reverse of the left medal, the EpilepsieNL logo is shown and on the side the text: ‘130 jarig jubileum’, which means: 130^th anniversary. On the right medal is the text ‘Samen in de aanval’, which translates to ‘Standing together’. This is the motto of the organization. Above and below this text, brainwaves of a person with epilepsy are shown.