When the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in 2010, two of its five islands, Curaçao and St. Maarten, were granted “status aparte,” autonomy as a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the same status given Aruba in 1986. The other three Antillean islands, Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius became special municipalities within the Netherlands. On January 1, 2011, these three replaced the Netherlands Antilles guilder with the U.S. dollar as their official currency.

In November 2020, the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten announced that the two countries would form a monetary union with a common central bank and a common currency. The Caribbean guilder would replace the Netherlands Antilles guilder on a 1 to 1 basis and be legally pegged to the U.S. dollar at an exchange rate setting $1 U.S. dollar equal to 1.79 Caribbean guilder. Implementation of the new currency was delayed several times.

The Caribbean guilder is now expected to be placed into circulation on March 31, 2025. Coins will be in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents, as well as 1-guilder and 5-guilder coins. Bank notes will be in 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-guilder denominations.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Crane Currency was selected by the central bank to print the notes at its printing facility in Malta. The shared currency was simultaneously revealed in August in Curaçao and St. Maarten. An information campaign launched to introduce the new currency to the public will both educate on the technical characteristics and tell the story behind the designs. Training of bank and retail personnel will also commence.

After its introduction, the new currency will co-circulate with the old. The introduction date is practical for the bank both because its stock of Netherlands Antilles guilders is near depletion and because, the bank says, “The outdated specifications of these banknotes and coins poses a risk for the circulation of quality counterfeits. To keep the confidence of the public, banking and business communities in the national currency, the new Caribbean guilder includes modern security features that will help ensure the efficiency of the payment system.”

The faces of the bank notes depict the vibrant marine life native to Curaçao and Sint Maarten, while the backs showcase significant historical and cultural landmarks of both countries. The face is offered in a horizontal orientation and the back is a vertical view. Each denomination will be presented in a distinctive color.

The new Caribbean 10-guilder note is predominantly yellow and features the gray angelfish and queen conch on the front with the historic lighthouse on Klein Curaçao on the back. The new 20-guilder note is predominantly blue with a face that features the spotted eagle ray and yellow cowry. On the 50-guilder note, colorization turns to green with the scene centering on the green sea turtle. The 100-guilder note is pictured in red, while the highest denomination, the 200-guilder note favors purple.

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