section_path: History
section_name: History
paragraph_text: History
  
  In the 18th century, the Dutch guilder circulated in the Netherlands Antilles. This was supplemented in 1794 by an issue of coins specific for the Dutch holdings in the West Indies. At this time, the guilder was subdivided into 20 stuiver.
  
  Between 1799 and 1828, the reaal circulated on the islands, with 1 reaal = 6 stuiver or 3 + 1 ⁄ 3 reaal = 1 guilder. The Dutch guilder was reintroduced in 1828, subdivided into 100 cents. When currency began again to be issued specifically for use in the Netherlands Antilles, it was issued in the name of Curaçao, with the first banknotes and coins, denominated in the Dutch currency, introduced in 1892 and 1900, respectively. The name "Netherlands Antilles" (Nederlandse Antillen) was introduced in 1952.
  
  In 1940, following the German occupation of the Netherlands, the link to the Dutch currency was broken, with a peg to the U.S. dollar of 1.88585 guilders = 1 dollar established. The peg was adjusted to 1.79 guilders = 1 dollar in 1971.
  
  In 1986, Aruba gained a status aparte and left the Netherlands Antilles. Shortly after that, Aruba began to issue its own currency, the Aruban florin, which replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par.
  
  In 2011, a year after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius switched to the United States dollar, and the Netherlands Antillean guilder ceased to be legal tender in those territories.
  
  Curaçao and Sint Maarten intended to replace their currency, ceasing its production, but as of December 2020, these territories were still using the Antillean guilder. Current banknotes and coins now require replacement, and only two years of Antilles guilder physical currency remaining for use. In 2018 there was talk that the islands could opt for the euro or possibly the US dollar in lieu of implementing their own new currency.
  
  In November 2019, Curaçao Finance Minister Kenneth Gijsbertha confirmed the introduction of the Caribbean guilder, and the Central Bank announced the same a year later.
  
  By August 2021, it was reported that the new guilder was expected to launch in either 2023 or 2024. In September 2022, however, CBCS announced an introduction date of 2024. Then in July 2023, its release was postponed to 2025 at the latest. Indeed, by June 2024, that guilder was planned to be introduced on 31 March 2025. After the introduction of the Caribbean guilder, the Netherlands Antillean guilder remains legal tender until 30 June 2025.