The Netherlands: Unrealised post war designs 1948

[eurocoin]

Two interesting unrealised designs for the post war coinage of the Netherlands.

I came across them a few months ago.


The proposed design for the 1 cent coin depicts ears.

The design on the 5 cent coin depicts a phoenix.

It symbolizes the resurrected Netherlands after the war.


The designs were made by designer Ludwig Oswald Wenckebach .

They were not used because of reasons unknown.

[<k>]

The stalks on the 1 cent are nicely symmetrical, but they make me feel itchy.

They are not really what you would expect on a Dutch coin. 

The phoenix design is an attractive one.

[<k>]

Here is the 1 cent design that was actually issued.

It is similar in most respects, apart from the barley stalks.

[<k>]

The issued 5 cent design.

It has some of the same elements but no phoenix.

[Figleaf]

Really interesting designs! Prof. Wenkebach was in the business of decorating. No wonder he wanted to decorate. Unfortunately, he chose two designs that - especially at this time - had clear links to the second world war: the famine of the winter of 1944/1945 and the resurgence of the Dutch state. Therefore, the designs were not "timeless". Dutch coins have a history of being "timeless", with portraits, wreaths and heraldry. The powers that were once again would not have liked to depart from that culture. Modernisation would have to wait until 1982.

I like the mint master sign fish. Wenkebach had apparently already decided on what sign Van Hengel would use, but this fish looks more detailed that the one used on the coins. Another frustration applied by officialdom?

Peter

[Pellinore]

]I wonder who was responsible for the lettering on these coins.

Was it Jan van Krimpen, who also designed the 1-8 cent stamps in the 1918-1950 period?

-- Paul

[Henk]

An article about the designs by Wenckebach and the new coins issued in 1948 can be found here: http://debeeldenaar.nl/wp-content/uploads/archief/De-Beeldenaar/De-Beeldenaar_1980_03.pdf (in Dutch)

[Henk]

The design scetches for the 10 cent coin, taken from the Beeldenaar article.

And a design for the 25 cent coin as shown in the catalog of the works of Wenckebach:

Oswald Wenckebach, Monografien van het Sculptuur Instituut, part 5 (2011) W-Books. ISBN 9789040078255

[<k>]

The issued 10 and 25 cents looked very different.

I do like the lion on the unadopted 25 cents design, though.

[<k>]

Usually the lion appeared on the Dutch guilder coins - not the lower denominations.

[eurocoin]

Very interesting, I had never seen the unrealised design of the 25 cents coin before.

I already expected the 2 that I posted weren't the only unrealised designs made for the series.