Netherlands 5 Euro 2018 Leeuwarden First Day of Issue

Since the year 1985 a European city has been the Cultural Capital of Europe. From the year 2004 onwards, there are two cities each year. In the year 2018, Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland together with Valletta (Malta), is the European Capital of Culture. The aim of the Cultural Capital is to make the diversity and characteristics of the different European cultures more visible and that the people of the EU get to know each other better. To celebrate that Leeuwarden (in Frisian Ljouwert) is the Cultural Capital of 2018, a beautiful special 5 Euro coin has been issued. The face of this coin is æDatisticallyÆ executed, i.e. it is a mixture of culture û Jewelery (Mata Hari), art (van Doesburg), history (Frisian boat) and typical Frisian characteristics such as a Frisian horse, water, the Horn of the Culture and much more can be seen on the face of this special coin. In the outer ring of the coin is the text æLeeuwarden - Fryslan European Capital of CultureÆ. On the reverse of the coin a flower rosette, a typical Frisian wood carving, is depicted. With a special kerfsnede (score cut) technique, beautiful flower figures are carved into the wood from a lime tree. This is not completely round and that is the reason that the inside of the face of the coin is not completely round either. In the outer ring of the coin the text "Willem Alexander Koning der Nederlanden" is shown together with the year 2018. Thursday, March 29, 2018 was the first striking of the Leeuwarden Vijfje (€5 coin). This first strike was performed by the Burgemeester (Mayor) of Leeuwarden Dhr. Ferd Crone under the supervision of the new Mint master Dhr. Satin (NB: Dhr. is an abbreviation of De Heer which translates to mister). On the occasion of this first striking, a special Coincard was issued in which the Leeuwarden Vijfje was mounted. The coin is mounted in a numbered coincard which was only available on the day of issue û 29 March 2018. The coincard is itself packaged in a beautiful, small, signed envelope on which the day of issue can be seen prominently.