The 100-guilder "Snipe" banknote

By the late 1970s, DNB faced a challenge: the existing 100-guilder De Ruyter note was no longer secure enough to keep up with advances in counterfeiting. The solution? A completely new approach – both in design and philosophy.

From heroes to everyday nature

Under the creative direction of designer Ootje Oxenaar, DNB launched the Nature Series, beginning with the 100-guilder Snipe in 1981. This marked a radical departure from the traditional portraits of national heroes like De Ruyter, Hals or Spinoza. Research had shown that such portraits did little to help people recognise or remember banknotes. Instead, DNB opted for everyday imagery – familiar, distinctive and easier to recall. The idea was simple: the more recognisable the note, the more effective its security features.

The Snipe was followed by:

the 50-guilder Sunflower (1982)
the 250-guilder Lighthouse (1986)

Together, these three notes formed a visually striking and internationally acclaimed series –praised for their clarity, beauty and innovation.

Not everyone was impressed

Despite its brilliant design, the Snipe note sparked controversy. When it was unveiled, Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad quipped, “They are all birds of a feather.” Cultural institutions and museum directors voiced their disapproval. They argued that banknotes should reflect national heritage through portraits of historical figures, as in the earlier Erflaters series. Oxenaar, however, remained unfazed. He famously remarked:

"I see a banknote as an everyday utensil. Choosing a snipe is rather arbitrary – just like you wouldn’t put the head of state on a giro cheque.

(Source: Algemeen Dagblad, 28-03-1981)

DNB stood firm. Its mission was not to promote Dutch cultural history, but to ensure secure, functional currency.

A culinary twist

Ironically, the Snipe’s début inspired more than just design debates. In the DNB staff magazine De Florijn, the April 1981 issue featured three recipes for cooking snipe – prepared in French, German and Italian fashion. A Dutch recipe was notably absent. The contributor joked: “The few who eat snipe here probably cook it like potatoes.”

From dinner plate to protected species

Whether intended or not, the Snipe note raised awareness about the bird itself. Public concern grew over the fact that the snipe was not yet a protected species in the Netherlands. As the daily Algemeen Dagblad wrote in 1981: “The state bank as propagandist of conservation.” Since the 1970s, the snipe’s population has continued to decline, and today it is officially listed as ‘threatened’ on the Dutch Red List of migratory birds.