The guilder (Dutch gulden), represented by the symbol ƒ, was the name of the currency used in the Netherlands from the 15th century until 1999, when it was replaced by the euro (coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). Two versions of the guilder are still in use in Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, both Dutch dependencies. In 2004, the Suriname gulden has been replaced by the Suriname dollar.

The exact exchange rate, still relevant for old contracts, is 2.20371 Dutch guilder (NLG) for 1 euro (EUR). Inverted, this gives EUR 0.453780 for NLG 1.

Dutch gulden
1 Dutch gulden 2001

Gold coins struck for the first time in 1252 in Florence, Italy—the florenus — were widely accepted throughout Europe, and ultimately coined several national curriencies: The Netherlands had their guilders, several German territories their Gulden, and last but not least the Polish Zloty were called gulden - the usual abbreviation was in all theses cases fl. or ƒ for floren[us],. I

The values differed - here against the English pound for 1709:

1 English Pound	= 11 Dutch guilders, 22 stuivers, 6 pennige	conversion tool http://www.pierre-marteau.com/currency/converter/eng-hol.html
"	= 6 German gulden, 40 kreuzer	conversion tool http://www.pierre-marteau.com/currency/converter/eng-rei.html
"	= 13 Polish gulden or zloty, 6 grosz	conversion tool http://www.pierre-marteau.com/currency/converter/eng-pol.html

In Hungary, the guilder was named the forint after the city of Florence, and it was used from the old times through today: it is still the currency in Hungary, but only until around 2010, when it is expected to be replaced by the euro.

Through time, other coins derived from the guilder emerged. Among them was the daalder, one and a half guilder. The name was derived from a large German coin called thaler.

Also see dollar.

External link

• Gulden http://www.dhs.ch/externe/protect/textes/d/D13675.html in the Swiss Historical Encyclopedia (in German; also available in French http://www.dhs.ch/externe/protect/textes/f/F13675.html and Italian http://www.dhs.ch/externe/protect/textes/i/I13675.html ).
• The Marteau Early 18th century Currency Converter http://www.pierre-marteau.com/currency/converter.html with tools to convert early 18th century Dutch Guilders into the major contemporary European currencies.

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Guilder is also a fictional nation in the book the The Princess Bride, as is florin.