The Netherlands 10 Guilder Gold Coin (Elder Queen Wilhelmina)

The Netherlands 10 guilder gold coin (Elder Queen Wilhelmina)

Minted 1925 - 1933
Fineness: .900
Actual Gold Content: .1947 troy ounce

Queen Wilhelmina ascended the throne after her father, King Willem III, died in 1890. She first displayed an incisive intelligence during a meeting with the powerful Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany prior to World War I. Wilhelm boasted to the young Wilhelmina that "my guards are seven feel tall and yours are only shoulder high to them." To this she replied politely: "Quite true, Your Majesty, your guards are seven feet tall, but when we open our dikes, the water is ten feet deep!" Also known for her business savvy, Wilhelmina amassed a fortune through various business dealings and investments that surpassed a billion dollars, making her the first female billionaire in history. She moved throughout her life in the highest circles of international finance. Her involvement in World War II was widely publicized as well, as she unabashedly called Adolf Hitler "the archenemy of mankind." Her rule lasted a remarkable fifty-eight years.