Willemstad/Philipsburg – Starting on July 1, a two-nation-wide teaser campaign will be launched by the Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten (CBCS), building curiosity for the new shared currency, the Caribbean guilder. Anticipating the Caribbean guilder entering circulation on March 31, 2025, the campaign marks the start of a month-long journey towards familiarization. Both people from Curaçao and Sint Maarten will figure prominently in the campaign. The object of their interest is not shown, at least not yet. The campaign aims to awaken interest in the new national currency, with familiar faces and a touch of mystery.
The awareness campaign will run through August 22, 2024, when the design of the Caribbean guilder banknotes and coins will be revealed simultaneously in Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Following the reveal of the design of the new banknotes and coins, an information campaign will be launched to introduce the new currency to the public – educating on the banknote and coin characteristics and telling the story behind the design. The CBCS will also start training bank and retail personnel in the use of the new currency.
The new Caribbean guilder banknotes and coins will seamlessly replace those of the Netherlands Antillean guilder after a three-month period of co-circulation in 2025. A secure currency continues to be a pillar of a modern economy. Introducing the Caribbean guilder is the result of the decision of the Governments of Curaçao and Sint Maarten to form a monetary union with a common currency: the Caribbean Guilder, following the restructuring of the countries in 2010. Since 2010, the two countries have been using the currency of a country (the Netherlands Antilles) that no longer exists. The introduction in 2025 is also necessary considering the forecasted
drawdown and eventual depletion of stocks of banknotes and coins of the Netherlands Antillean guilder. The outdated specifications of these banknotes and coins poses a risk for the circulation of quality counterfeits. To keep the confidence of the public, banking and business communities in the national currency, the new Caribbean guilder includes modern security features that will help ensure the efficiency of the payment system.
