Silver Ducat "De Haar Castle" 2020

Silver Ducats are commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Finance and are collector coins.

Part 1: De Haar Castle from Utrecht, The Netherlands
The first to shine in the series “Dutch Castles” is De Haar Castle in Haarzuilens, Utrecht. To visit De Haar Castle, whether to admire its park, its rich history, the exhibitions, gardens, deer or for a wedding, is to be immersed in a different world. Behind every door, every detail, every flower in its colorful gardens is a story. A story about earlier times, different cultures and interesting characters. De Haar is the largest castle in the Netherlands, once the private residence of the Van Zuylen family, whose descendants still stay here yearly. In the last century, the castle also frequently hosted members of the international jet-set with their lavish lifestyle; from Coco Chanel to Roger Moore, they too left their mark on the sumptuous rooms of the most opulent spot in Utrecht.

Discover the life of field marshal Godard van Reede
The obverse shows, as stated in the Dutch Mint Act, an armoured knight with a shield in front of his left leg. His shield shows the province weapon and the inscription MO.NO.ARG.REG.BELGII. TRAJ. “MO NO ARG REG” is the Latin abbreviation for “Moneta Nova Argenta Regni”: New Silver coin of the Kingdom. “BELGII” is the Latin name for The Netherlands, and therefore does not (only) translate as Belgium. “TRAJ” is short for Traiectum, which is the province of Utrecht. The inscription means: New Silver coin of the Kingdom of the Netherlands province Utrecht. The knight depicted in this series is Godard van Reede (1644 –1703), in the United Kingdom better known as Godard de Ginkell. Ginkell served as Governor of Utrecht. In 1688 he accompanied William, Prince of Orange, in his expedition to England where he claimed the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland. After his return in 1963 he became commander in chief of the Army of Flanders and in 1702 Ginkell became first Field Marshal of the Dutch States Army. Ginkell stands before De Haar Castle.

On the obverse we see the National coat of arms of the Netherlands with the Royal Crown between the numbers of the year and the inscription CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT, “Unity makes Strength”, the mint mark and the privy mark.