Description:
“A Poem in Steel and Glass”.
So said American architects Howard Robertson and Francis Rowland Yerbury of Johannes Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt’s magnificent Van Nelle Fabriek, a flowing, technologically state-of-the-art structure built in the Dutch style of Nieuwe Bouwen. So ahead of its time it was, that even modern master Le Corbusier had to tip his hat to it, calling it “the most beautiful spectacle of the modern age” (a 50-euro gold coin honoring Le Corbusier was described in an earlier CoinWeek coin profile).
The Van Nelle Fabriek was designed and built starting in the mid-1920s and completed in 1931. It served as a factory for most of the twentieth century, surviving World War II unscathed, and today serves as home for suites of offices and studios that serve the Netherlands’ audio-visual and design industries.
To celebrate this important structure, the Netherlands issued a series of coins in 2015. This 5-euro silver coin is struck on .925 silver.
Obverse:
The coin’s obverse features a halftone portrait of King Willem-Alexander facing right, in a forward 2/3 perspective. His portrait resides on the coin’s left side. Superimposed on the portrait is a right-facing cameo of the king’s bust in flat relief. The inscription “WILLEM-ALEXANDER KONING DER NEDERLANDEN” (Willem-Alexander King of the Netherlands) wraps around the rim. Below is an angled and offset representation of the Netherlands’ Royal Coat of Arms. On the Coat of Arms, only the letters JE MAIN of JE MAINTIENDRAI (I will maintain) are visible.
Reverse:
A line drawing of the Van Nelle Fabriek fills the top half of the coin’s design. Leaves of vegetation frame the building. The inscriptions read DE VAN NELLE FABRIEK, NEDERLANDS WERELDERFGOED, 2015, and 5 EURO. Between the date and denomination is the symbol of UNESCO. To the far right, the privy marks of the Royal Dutch Mint.
httpvh://youtu.be/PuMXIHXxSZ0
Designer(s): Dutch artist Kianoosh Motallebi studied art in the UK and the Netherlands. His work is often abstract, scientific, and challenging. View Designers Profile.
Coin Specifications:
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Year Of Issue: | 2015 |
| Denomination: | 5 Euro |
| Mint Mark: | Royal Dutch Mint Privy |
| Mintage: | 12,500 |
| Alloy: | .925 Silver |
| Weight: | 15.5 grams |
| Diameter: | 33 mm |
| OBV Designer | Kianoosh Motallebi |
| REV Designer | Kianoosh Motallebi |
| Quality: | Proof |
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