Post offices join in final guilder currency exchange drive

AMSTERDAM - Guilder coins can only be exchanged for the ‘new’ euros until December 31, 2006. Besides the four offices of the Dutch central Bank (DNB), all post offices in the country will be able to assist people in a last-ditch effort to exchange an estimated $160 million in regular guilder coins. About the same amount is ‘outstanding’ in special coins, such as anniversary editions of the 10 guilder coin. Only private citizens still can exchange guilder coins. Guilders from commercial transactions were abolished in 2003. It is expected that few people still want to exchange the coins and rather keep them as collectibles. Guilder banknotes can be exchanged only at locations of the Dutch central bank until December 31, 2031.