Netherlands, 5 cents, 1980. Unofficial issue.

[ZYV]

This coin is absent in Krause's usual and unusual catalogues.
It's interesting – who and for what purpose had minted it?
Similar coins in catalogue of unusual coins have prices in VF – XF – Unc conditions.
Was this issue in circulation?

[Figleaf]

Not a coin. One in a series of privately issued souvenir medals. They are quite common in rummage trays.

Peter

[ZYV]

Thank You, dear Figleaf!
And why VF – XF – Unc prices?   

[Figleaf]

Sorry, I don't know any catalogue that lists them. They are almost always found in unc minus the usual rummage tray grime and damage. I cannot imagine one in VF, but haven't paid attention either.

Peter

[ZYV]

...I don't know any catalogue that lists them...

Have a look, please.
There are 8 such coins there.

[ZYV]

The book

[Figleaf]

That explains a lot. There are not 8 types, more likely about 20, with at least two different issuers (one of them was a small coin dealer) and they are of course neither coins nor unusual. KM asks prices in four grades from their contributors, even if the piece is found in only two grades. BTW, they should not cost more than 50 eurocent.

Peter

[ZYV]

Were these items minted in the Netherlands?
Can a man coin such "coin" of a country?

[Figleaf]

They were issued in the Netherlands, but I don't know where they were struck. Utrecht is quite unlikely, as the strike is uneven and often not hard enough. A (German?) toy manufacturer might have made them.

It think the reason why they chose to imitate the "square" 5  cent is that it is the only coin of the kingdom of the Netherlands that does not have a mintmark and mintmaster mark, so it wouldn't seem strange that the imitation doesn't have any.

It is perfectly legal to imitate coins, as long as they cannot be confused with the real thing. The type imitated had been withdrawn for decades.

Peter

[ZYV]

Dear Peter,
thank You very much for Your explanations.
Yury

[chrisild]

Have a look, please.
There are 8 such coins there.

Brrr, shudder.   The portrait of Queen Juliana looks pretty bad to me. Also note that the piece commemorates two occasions: the Queen's 70th birthday, and the anniversary of the 1579 Union of Utrecht. Only the latter was actually commemorated on an actual coin ...

Christian

[ZYV]

Brrr, shudder.   The portrait of Queen Juliana looks pretty bad to me.

And the portrait on the coin. 
As far as I understand these "coins" were produced in 1979 - 1980?

[Figleaf]

As far as I understand these "coins" were produced in 1979 - 1980?

That sounds about correct to me. I never looked at them closely. Ghastly!

Peter