Description
NETHERLANDS 2 1/2 Gulden 1940 Wilhelmina I Silver (.720) Brooch 38mm 15.37 grams
Interesting coin brooch made by cutting out the detail around the Queen's bust and beveling the edge to remove the lettering. A World War II era coin on the last year of issue.
On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Queen Wilhelmina and her family fled The Hague and boarded HMS Hereward, a British destroyer sent by King George VI to take them across the North Sea. In Britain, Queen Wilhelmina took charge of the Dutch government in exile, setting up a chain of command and immediately communicating a message to her people. Relations between the new Dutch government and the queen were tense, with mutual dislike growing as the war progressed. She went on to be the most prominent figure, owing to her experience and knowledge, which earned her respect and support among the other leaders of the world. On the other hand, the new Dutch government did not have a parliament to back them and had few employees to assist them. The Dutch prime minister, Dirk Jan de Geer, believed the Allies would not win and intended to open negotiations with Germany for a separate peace. Therefore, Wilhelmina sought to remove De Geer from power. With the aid of minister Pieter Gerbrandy, she succeeded. During the war, Queen Wilhelmina's photograph was a sign of resistance against the Germans.
