~Marking the adoption of the Cg as sole legal tender in Curaçao and Sint Maarten~
WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- On July 1, 2025, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) will issue a special colored Cg 0.50 circulation coin. This commemorative coin has been minted to mark the end of the co-circulation period and the adoption of the Caribbean guilder (Cg) as sole legal tender in Curaçao and Sint Maarten on that same date. Like the regular Cg 0.50 coin, the colored commemorative coin will be issued in two versions - bearing either “Curaçao” or “Sint Maarten” on the obverse - and will circulate in both countries. The commemorative coin shares the same design as the regular 50-cent piece, with color as its distinguishing feature. The obverse displays a colored image of the orange blossom. In many cultures, the orange blossom is associated with prosperity and symbolizes purity and virtue. It is one of the few flowers that bloom while simultaneously bearing fruit, which is why it is also considered a symbol of fruitfulness. Surrounding the blossom, the name of the respective country links the stylized Caribbean sky to the ocean waves. The reverse of the coin features the denomination, positioned between the Caribbean sky and waves, at the center of a constellation of thirty equally spaced pearls. The three groups of ten pearls symbolize the date October 10, 2010, when Curaçao and Sint Maarten attained autonomous status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands—also marking the starting point of the Caribbean guilder. The three shells depicted on the coin are Favoured Tellin shells. The coins were minted in limited quantities by the Royal Canadian Mint, making them an attractive collector’s item. They will enter circulation through the commercial banks, have the same value as the regular 50-cent circulation coins, and will serve as legal tender. Willemstad, June 30, 2025 CENTRALE BANK VAN CURAÇAO EN SINT MAARTEN