GREAT B AY/WILLEMSTAD--The five-guilder coin from the Caribbean guilder series used by St. Maarten and Curaçao has been selected among the 10 nominees in the Best Circulating Coin category of the 2026 Coin of the Year competition.
The recognition places the currency among the COTY 100, a selection of 100 coins dated 2025 from 41 countries. Nearly 600 coins were submitted by mints, central banks, issuing authorities and coin enthusiasts for consideration. A nominating committee narrowed the submissions to 10 coins across each of the competition’s 10 categories.
A panel of more than 100 international judges will select one winner in each category. Those 10 category winners will then advance to a second round of voting to determine the overall 2026 Coin of the Year.
The winners are scheduled to be recognized on August 27 during the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Coin of the Year is a long-running and recognized competition within the international numismatic industry. Presented by World Coin News, the program was established to recognize excellence and innovation in coin design and has operated for more than 40 years.
Its nominees and winners are selected through an international committee and judging process, while mints and central banks from around the world regularly participate. The awards have been presented in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money since 2023.
The competition is an industry award rather than an official ranking issued by a government, central bank or financial regulator. However, selection among the COTY 100 is considered meaningful recognition within the international coin-design and collecting community.
The Caribbean guilder became legal tender in St. Maarten and Curaçao on March 31, 2025, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder as the common currency of the two-country monetary union.
The two currencies circulated together for three months. The Netherlands Antillean guilder ceased to be legal tender after June 30, and the Caribbean guilder became the sole legal tender on July 1, 2025.
The conversion was conducted at a one-to-one rate. The Caribbean guilder remains pegged to the US dollar at US$1 to Cg1.79.
The coin series includes denominations of one cent, five cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, one guilder and five guilders. The coins were produced by the Royal Canadian Mint for the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The nomination gives the Caribbean guilder further international exposure little more than a year after its introduction and recognizes a currency that is now part of everyday commercial life in St. Maarten and Curaçao.
