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The 10-guilder “Kingfisher” note
Birds take flight in the theme “Rivers and Birds,” one of two concepts shortlisted by the ECB for the new euro banknotes. In fact, avian imagery has long graced Dutch currency. The robin adorned the 25-guilder note (1989), the snipe the 100-guilder note (1977), and the little owl the 100-guilder note (1992). The kingfisher was the last to join this distinguished line-up—now poised for a possible return on the proposed €10 note.
The Kingfisher note (1997) was part of the ornamental series – a trio of abstract banknotes designed by Jaap Drupsteen. Unlike earlier notes that emphasised overall recognisability (like Oxenaar’s 50-guilder Sunflower note from 1982 and 250-euro Lighthouse note from 1986), Drupsteen’s designs focused on highlighting public security features. This approach was meant to help people spot counterfeits more easily. For example:
• The kingfisher is hidden in the watermark, not immediately visible.
• A stickleback, the bird’s prey, appears in the transparency register.
• The note includes printed tips to guide users, such as:
o “The kingfisher in the watermark has light and dark shades.”
o “The text next to the watermark is readable through a magnifying glass.
• Embedded in the note is a poem by Arie van den Berg about the kingfisher, printed in microtext (see picture below).
© DNB
Alongside it are regional Dutch nicknames for the bird, including: iesfeugelke, ieshop, iesklepper, iespauwtje, iesvoggel, ijsfûgel, ijsvink, sluuswachter and waterspecht When the note was issued, the kingfisher was critically endangered in the Netherlands, with only 35 to 50 breeding pairs. By 2023, that number had risen to approximately 750-900 pairs – a hopeful turnaround that mirrors the bird’s symbolic meaning: confidence in a good outcome despite adversity.
The note was approved by the DNB Executive Board on 30 May 1996, but officially dated 1 July 1997 – the day Nout Wellink became DNB president. He admired the note, calling it “bold” and “artistic.” It was the first and only guilder note signed by him. As the very last guilder note, the Kingfisher circulated for only a few years until the introduction of the euro in 2002.
The 10-guilder Kingfisher note circulated from 1 September 1997 to 1 January 2002, when the euro replaced the guilder. It was signed by DNB president Nout Wellink. It remains redeemable at the DNB Cash Desk until 1 January 2032.
