Netherlands 1851 20 gulden
This specimen was lot 103 in Schulman auction 388 (Amsterdam, December 2025), where it sold for €24,000 (about US$33,817 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Dubbele Willem of 20 gulden, KONINKRIJK DER NEDERLANDEN - WILLEM III 1849-90, 1851 Hoofd naar links door D. v.d. Kellen Jr. Kz. gekroond rijkswapen tussen twee eikentakken, daarboven jaartal, gewichts- en gehalteaanduiding. Randschrift GOD . ZY . MET . ONS . Mmt. zwaard, mt. mercuriusstaf., GoldGeen exemplaar hoger gegrade bij NGC, en slechts een andere kreeg MS63. RR NGC MS63. (double william of twenty gulden of 1851, kingdom of the Netherlands, William III, 1849-90. Obverse: head left, by D. v.d. Kellen Jr.; reverse: crowned royal arms between two oak branches, the date, weight and fineness above; lettered edge; sword mintmark, Mercury's staff privy mark. Highest graded specimen at NGC and tied with one other at PCGS.)"
The kingdom of the Netherlands was formed from the former United Provinces at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The house of Nassau, former Stadtholders, were promoted to king. This type, issued 1850-53 along with five and ten gulden, is so rare as to practically be a pattern.
Recorded mintage: 2,500.
Specification: 13.46 g, 0.900 fine gold, .389 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-339, KM 96, Sch-543.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Peters, T., J. Scheper and J. Mevius, Muntalmanak 2018, 35e editie, Amsterdam: Nederlandse vereniging van munthandelaren, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Absil, Andrew, Olle Cederholm, Erik de Visser and Rik van Noorloos, Schulman sale 388: 145 Year Jubilee Sale, Amsterdam: Schulman b.v., 2025.
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