Sweelinck 25-guilder banknote

In 1982, the Sweelinck note made headlines – not for its design, but for counterfeits that were “deceptively real.” This was unusual, as counterfeiters typically targeted higher denominations like the 100-guilder or 1,000-guilder note. The public reaction was swift and concerned. Newspapers like Het Parool reported on the issue, prompting DNB to respond: “This is an incident. I get the impression people are exaggerating a little.” Still, to reassure the public, DNB published specimen notes and side-by-side comparisons with the fakes in national newspapers, encouraging people to “pay a little attention” to spot the differences.

Colloquially, this banknote was known as “the yellow”. But here’s the twist: the note wasn’t yellow at all. It was actually carmine red. So where did the nickname come from? The answer lies in Dutch monetary tradition. Since its founding in 1814, DNB had issued 25-guilder notes. In 1860, a new colour-coded system was introduced to help people distinguish denominations more easily. The 25-guilder note was given a yellow hue and the 60-guilder note a green one, and the nicknames stuck.

Even though later versions of the 25-guilder note – starting in 1921 – came in red, blue, and even purple, the name “yellow” lived on. The last truly yellow 25-guilder note disappeared in 1928, but the nickname endured for decades, showing just how deeply money embeds itself in culture and language.

The 25-guilder banknote featuring composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was introduced on 15 December 1972 and remained in circulation until 1 May 1995. Over 1.18 billion of these notes were printed, it was signed by DNB president Zijlstra. This note can no longer be exchanged for euros.