The guilder (Dutch gulden), represented by the symbol ƒ, was the name of the currency used in the Netherlands from the 15th century until 1999, when it was replaced by the euro (coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). Two versions of the guilder are still in use in Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, both Dutch dependencies. In 2004, the Suriname gulden has been replaced by the Suriname dollar.

The exact exchange rate, still relevant for old contracts, is 2.20371 Dutch guilder (NLG) for 1 euro (EUR). Inverted, this gives EUR 0.453780 for NLG 1.

Dutch gulden
1 Dutch gulden 2001

Gold coins struck for the first time in 1252 in Florence, Italy—the florenus — were widely accepted throughout Europe, and ultimately coined several national curriencies: The Netherlands had their guilders, several German and Swiss territories their Gulden, and last but not least the Polish Zloty were called gulden - the usual abbreviation was in all theses cases fl. or ƒ for floren[us],. I

The values differed - here against the English pound for 1709:

In Hungary, the guilder was named the forint after the city of Florence, and it was used from the old times through today: it is still the currency in Hungary, but only until around 2010, when it is expected to be replaced by the euro.

Through time, other coins derived from the guilder emerged. Among them was the daalder, one and a half guilder (30 stuivers). The name was derived from a large German coin called thaler.

Also see dollar.

Denominations

At the time of withdrawal, the following denominations were circulating, the 1 cent coin having been withdrawn in 1983 (with nicknames):

• Coins:
  • 5 cent - stuiver
  • 10 cent - dubbeltje
  • 25 cent - kwartje
  • 100 cent/1 gulden - piek
  • 250 cent/2.50 gulden - Rijksdaalder, colloquially riks or knaak, not to be confused with the older valued daalder (1.50 gulden)
  • 500 cent/5.00 gulden - vijfje

All the coins carried a profile image of the Queen on the heads side and a simple grid on the other side.

• Banknotes:
  • 10 gulden - joet
  • 25 gulden - geeltje
  • 50 gulden - zonnebloem
  • 100 gulden - meier / (later snip)
  • 250 gulden - vuurtoren
  • 1000 gulden - (rooie) rug / rooi(tj)e

At the time of withdrawal, all but the 50 and 250 gulden notes had been issued in a new revision that was the same colour as the older, long-serving notes but with a mostly abstract pattern, featuring a different bird for each denomination.

External link

• Gulden in the Swiss Historical Encyclopedia (in German; also available in French and Italian).
• The Marteau Early 18th century Currency Converter with tools to convert early 18th century Dutch Guilders into the major contemporary European currencies.

Guilder is also a fictional nation in the book The Princess Bride, as is florin.