Westhove Castle is the sixth in the Royal Dutch Mint’s latest Dutch Castles Silver Ducat series

Between 2015 and 2019, the Royal Dutch Mint issued a 12-coin set of silver ducats themed around the 12 provinces in the Netherlands. It was successful enough to warrant a follow on series, this time taking a look at Dutch castles, of which there’s a fine selection in this lowland European nation.

The sixth coin features Westhove Castle, one over 700 years old and with a rich history. Built as a defensive structure for Middelburg Abbey, it became obsolete in that role in the fifteenth century, and by the late 16th century had passed into private hands. It’s now a youth hostel.

REVERSE: depicts knight Godard de Ginkell in front of the famous castle. The province weapon of Zeeland can be found on his shield. The inscription on this issue reads: “MO.NO.ARG.REG.BELGII.ZEL.”. “MO.NO.ARG.REG.BELGII.” is the Latin abbreviation for “Moneta Nova Argenta Regni Belgii”: New Silver coin of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. “ZEL.” stands for the province of Zeeland.

OBVERSE: the National coat of arms of the Netherlands with the Royal Crown between the numbers of the year can be found. The inscription reads: “CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT”, Unity makes Strength.