Newport man buys rare Dutch coin for $150,000

A Newport Beach entrepreneur recently bought what experts say is one of only two copies of the most valuable Dutch coin in existence.

The man, who declined to be identified, spent more than $150,000 on the rare coin, known as a Netherlands Willem II guilder, which was minted in 1840. The sale price is the highest ever for a coin from the Netherlands, said John Saunders, a Newport Beach coin dealer.

Of the two coins that were created, neither had been on the market for more than 50 years. Saunders and his partner in Amsterdam, coin-dealing company Schulman b.v., purchased the coin at an auction in the Netherlands and sold it to the Newport Beach collector.

Saunders, who has been dealing rare coins for 40 years, said Orange County has become a hub for coin enthusiasts.

Before the 1930s, people used coins more than paper money. Since then, coins have become an afterthought to most people when exchanging currency, Saunders said. Rare-coin collectors are the exception, he said.

“Coins are one of the big sources of historical knowledge going back to ancient times,” he said.

The Willem II coin pictures King William II, who assumed the role of monarch of the Netherlands after his father, King William I, abdicated the throne in 1840 to marry Henrietta d’Oultremont.

When William II ascended to the throne, the mint decided to make a coin with his likeness. For unknown reasons, only two were made, Saunders said.

To collectors of rare coins, the history behind them is sometimes more interesting than the coins themselves.

“People who collect learn the stories,” Saunders said. “It’s kind of like why people collect stamps, except coins are much older.”