The exhibition in the Museum of the BNA tells the history of money in the Netherlands Antilles starting with barterdeals and the use of the well known 'quiripa', shells used by Indians, the original inhabitants of the islands. Colonists from Europe, among which, the Spanish, Dutch, French, Danish and English brought their own coins to be used in the newfound land.
 

Curaçao was, and still is, well known for its harbor facilities. Ships from Europe and the American continent used the island and its facilities to interchange merchandise. The traders also sold products to the inhabitants of the island. This led to the use of different currencies. Because import was higher than export, the island experienced a shortage of small change. To resolve this problem, the Governor decided in 1799 to cut 8,000 Spanish silver pesos (pillar dollars), each worth 8 'reales', into four pieces, and to give each quarter part the value of 3 'reales'. On account of the alleged production method, these coins received the name of "guillotine", after the homonymous executioner’s equipment used in the French revolution. Through time the name "guillotine' changed to 'guiotin' and finally to 'yotin'. The meaning and value have always stayed the same, and so the term 'yotin' is still used to indicate an amount of 50 cents.

 
 

To cope with the shortage of small change, around 1880 the families Leyba, Jesurun and Naär minted their own coins, the Curaçao "Stuiver". On the obverse side of the coins were the words "1 stuiver" and on the reverse side were the abbreviated family names l&C, j&Co. and N.J.N. respectively.
 
One of the most remarkable coins in the museum collection is the   Golden Joe, named after King John V of Portugal (1706-1750). This       coin, struck in Rio do Janeiro and introduced in 1722, was a coin          of great value in the 18th century. The coin was worth 90 'reales'           and was therefore only used for large payments. Because of its            high gold value, people used to file or cut the edges of the coin            to obtain gold. This popular commercial coin was also           counterfeited on a large scale. These counterfeits contained          less gold. When approximately 30,000 inferior Golden Joe's        were circulating, the Government had the good specimens    provided with a certificate of authenticity and an identifying-mark. The local goldsmith Godhelp Israel Hoyer executed this counterstamp. The coins were stamped five times on the border using the letters GI, L, MH and B. On the reverse side the letter W was stamped.
 
At the end of the 18th century separate coins were struck for circulation in the Dutch West Indies, namely a 3 guilder, a 1 guilder and a ¼ guilder coin. These coins were distinguished from the ones circulating in the Netherlands by the letter "W". In 1826, the Dutch currency law regulated that Dutch coins, used in the Netherlands, were also officially legal tender in the Netherlands territories in the West Indies. The local population, however, still kept on using foreign coins such as the "pillar dollar" and the US 20 dollar gold (locally known as 'Morocota') to settle their obligations.
 
In another attempt to eliminate the foreign currency used on the islands, the Dutch government, at the beginning of the 20th century, introduced coins especially for the colony of Curaçao. The coins had the inscription "Kolonie Curaçao" (Colony of Curaçao) on the edges. These coins, together with the Dutch currency, were used until the 2nd World War.
 
                As the Dutch Mint was not in operation during the Second                     World War due to the occupation of Holland, coins for                     the islands were delivered from the United States. Coins,                  with the inscription "Munt van Curaçao" were struck in          Philadelphia and Denver. The palmtree was used as mintmaster            mark. After the liberation in 1945, the supply of coins was once             again provided for by ‘s Rijksmunt in the Netherlands.
 
 
With the autonomy of the Netherlands Antilles in 1954 the islands got their own coins. Up to date these coins have been characterized by the use of different materials such as gold, silver, aluminum and other metal alloys, and also sizes and shapes, such as the square coin.
 
             The BNA museum exhibits furthermore a beautiful collection                     of commemorative coins the mintage of which was                         introduced in 1973. There are about twenty different                             issues of gold and silver commemorative coins                                 forming part of collector's items. One such coin                                   is the silver coin commemorating the 25-year                                    reign of Her Majesty Queen Juliana in 1973. A                                    gold and silver coin, issued in 1996                                    commemorate the fact that 200 years earlier,                                    in 1776, the Netherlands Antilles was the first                                   country to officially salute the American flag                                  with the arrival of the American battle ship                                 Andrew Doria in St. Eustatius.

                              To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Central                            Bank of the Netherlands Antilles, the government                         issued a coin with the portrait of King William founder                   of the Central Bank.




Also exhibited in the Museum and very popular with collectors, are FDC sets of the currently used coins in an illustrated cover.
The museum gives lectures and guided tours and also has a small library.
BU sets and commemorative coins can be purchased during office hours at the Bank's cashier.