1 Cent – Netherlands Antilles

In 1952, the currency situation in the Netherlands Antilles was defined by its status as a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its historical economic linkages. The official currency was the Netherlands Antillean guilder (NAƒ), which had been pegged at a fixed rate to the U.S. dollar since 1971. However, in 1952, this peg was different; the guilder was firmly anchored to the Dutch guilder as part of the monetary system of the Kingdom. This arrangement reflected the islands' colonial-era economic ties to the Netherlands, with trade and financial policy heavily influenced by Amsterdam.

The territory's economy in this period was undergoing significant transition. While the refinery on Curaçao, operated since 1918, was a major economic pillar and a key source of foreign exchange (primarily U.S. dollars), the post-World War II era saw moves toward greater political autonomy. The monetary link to the Dutch guilder provided stability but also tied the islands' currency to the economic conditions and policies of a European nation recovering from war, which did not always align with the Antilles' own Caribbean economic realities and its dollar-based oil trade.

Consequently, the currency system of 1952 was a blend of colonial inheritance and practical necessity. The Netherlands Antillean guilder served as a symbol of political belonging to the Kingdom, while the everyday economy, especially the vital oil sector, operated extensively with U.S. dollars. This dual dynamic created a complex financial environment, setting the stage for the eventual decisive shift to a dollar peg two decades later, which would better serve the islands' geographic and commercial orientation.