Dutch euro coins currently use two designs by Erwin Olaf, both of which feature a portrait of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The new designs began circulating in 2014. Dutch Euro coins minted from 1999 to 2013 feature a portrait of Queen Beatrix designed by Bruno Ninaber van Eyben. All coins share the 12 stars of the EU and the year of imprint in their design.
As is the case in Finland, most Dutch shops have elected not to issue one and two cent coins starting on 1 September 2004, though the coins remain legal tender. Sums are rounded to the nearest five cents; sums ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 cents are rounded down, and those ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 cents are rounded up. The rounding is applied to the grand total only, while individual prices are still shown and summed up with â¬0.01 precision. This method is known as "Swedish rounding".
For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see euro coins.
The first sets of euro coins were minted in 1999 and the euro was put into circulation in the eurozone in 2002. Like Belgium, Finland, France and Spain, the first euro coins of the Netherlands are marked 1999, not 2002.
Queen Beatrix abdicated on 30 April 2013, so the design of the coins was changed for her heir, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The Royal Dutch Mint presented the new design to the public on 31 October 2013. Production of the new coins commenced on 22 January 2014. The first coins were released into circulation the next day.
The Commission of the European Communities issued a recommendation on 19 December 2008, a common guideline for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation. One section of this recommendation stipulates that:
The first series of the Dutch euro coins did not comply with this recommendation. No efforts were made to amend these coins to make them compliant. The second series were made to be in accordance with this recommendation.