2½ Dollars

Sint Eustatius is a Caribbean island of around 21 km² and 3.000 inhabitants, and a special municipality of the Netherlands.

The official language is Dutch; however English is also recognized as an administrative language. A local English-based creole is also spoken informally. Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, Sint Eustatius became a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010. Since January 1, 2011, the U.S. dollar has been the official currency, replacing the Netherlands Antillian Guilder.

In the 18th Century Sint Eustatius was a prosperous free port. Since the island sold arms and ammunition to anyone willing to pay, it was one of the few places from which the rebellious Thirteen Colonies could obtain weaponry, and became the major supplier of arms to United States during the Revolutionary War against Great Britain.

Nowadays, the University of Sint Eustatius, School of Medicine attracts students from the United States and Canada, but also from many other international locations. These students provide an important source of revenue for the island and local economy, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars every semester for food, accommodations and more.

This coin set includes: a 1-5-10-25-50 Cent; 1 Dollar, a bimetallic 2 ½ Dollar and a bimetallic 5 Dollar coin. On the obverse of the coin is depicted Netherlands Queen Beatrix, along with the name and arms of the island; and on the reverse the coins feature several native fish.