Going Dutch

[robinjojo]

While pawing through a box today I pulled out a ducatoon of Utrecht, 1748, that I've owned since March 1991.  It was purchased at an auction in Chicago that year, but I failed to note which one, of course.

So I thought I would post it to start a thread on all manner of Dutch coins, from Roman times to the present, which takes in a decent chunk of history.

I have lots of lion daalders and other large crown size coins of The Netherlands, mostly 17th century, but other periods as well.

Here's the ducatoon that I photographed today.  For those of you who are tracking price trends for these coins, this one cost me $330 back then, and I think that includes the buyer's fee of 10% back then.

Utrecht, ducatoon ("silver rider"), 1748, tulip edge, Davenport 1832.

32.6 grams

 

So, in celebration of a small country with an out-sized role in European and world history, please post you coins of The Netherlands and its predecessors.

Edited December 2, 2022 by robinjojo

[Kali]

Beautiful coin.

[Limes]

That's a beautiful coin! 

As an inhabitant of that small country, Im interested in the Roman part of our nation's history. The limes is well known, and the first legionary camp at this border was established in Niviomagus, (today: Nijmegen) by Agrippa, in 19 BC. So, I hope approriately, here's my only coin featuring Agrippa.

[John Conduitt]

Beautiful. Nice size too. There are a lot of great coins from the Netherlands, particularly from when it was a superpower. This coin isn’t so beautiful but comes from those days.

Leeuwendaalder, 1643

Gelderland. Silver, 26.61g. Knight with plume on helmet, coat of arms; MO . ARG . PRO : CON . FOE . BELG . GEL . Lion rampant; CONFIDENS . DNO . NON . MOVETVR . (KM 15.2).

[ChrisB]

Here is my 1775 Ducaton
Dav-1832
32.78g, 42mm

 

[The Eidolon]

I mostly collect coppers, but I have quite a few from the Netherlands.  Here's a favorite:

Netherlands Maastricht siege 1 stuiver 1579

An here's a souvenir from my first (and only so far) trip to Amsterdam.  Was only a couple Euros.  700 year anniversary token.

[robinjojo]

6 hours ago, Limes said:

That's a beautiful coin! 

As an inhabitant of that small country, Im interested in the Roman part of our nation's history. The limes is well known, and the first legionary camp at this border was established in Niviomagus, (today: Nijmegen) by Agrippa, in 19 BC. So, I hope approriately, here's my only coin featuring Agrippa.

That's a really nice dupondius of Augustus and Agrippa! 

I wasn't aware that a legionary camp was established a Nijmegen.  Thanks for sharing.

Also, I found this link to Wikipedia's discussion on the Roman presence in The Netherlands:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands_in_the_Roman_era

[robinjojo]

6 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

Beautiful. Nice size too. There are a lot of great coins from the Netherlands, particularly from when it was a superpower. This coin isn’t so beautiful but comes from those days.

Leeuwendaalder, 1643

Gelderland. Silver, 26.61g. Knight with plume on helmet, coat of arms; MO . ARG . PRO : CON . FOE . BELG . GEL . Lion rampant; CONFIDENS . DNO . NON . MOVETVR . (KM 15.2).

Nice coin! 

I really like the strike and centering.

Lion daalder production was enormous.  At an average fineness of .750, this hammer struck coin was a mainstay in world trade, especially in the Middle East and Asia, notably the East Indies.  I have found, collecting these historic coins, that the mid-1600s must have been the peak period for the production of these coins.  Late dates, especially from the late 1680s to the end of production, in 1702, are particularly difficult to locate.

Here's a lion daalder of 1699, Overijssel,, Davenport 4861

27.27 grams

As is typical of these coins, the metal quality is not very good, and quite often flaws, some quite large, and porosity are present.  These coins were produced with speed and with relatively little care for quality.

[robinjojo]

57 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

Here is my 1775 Ducaton
Dav-1832
32.78g, 42mm

 

That's a stunning ducaton of Utrecht, Chris.  

The quality of the coins improved considerably once the mints started using screw presses and edging machines and later collar dies.

Here's a West Friesland 3 gulden, 1794, Davenport 1853,  ex Money Company 1980.

31.54 grams

 

[robinjojo]

On 7/1/2022 at 10:09 AM, The Eidolon said:

I mostly collect coppers, but I have quite a few from the Netherlands.  Here's a favorite:

Netherlands Maastricht siege 1 stuiver 1579

An here's a souvenir from my first (and only so far) trip to Amsterdam.  Was only a couple Euros.  700 year anniversary token.

Nice necessity coin, and I really like the Amsterdam arms on the 700 florins coin!

Edited July 3, 2022 by robinjojo

[robinjojo]

Here's a silver medal that I've owned for a few years.

This large medal, produced during the United Provinces' war with Spain, commemorates the ending of the Spanish occupation of Leyden on October 3, 1574.  The obverse  legend reads  "SIC•HISPA•A•LEYD•NOCTV•FVG" [Spanish fled Leiden in the night] .  The reverse has the Spanish fleeing the city, depicted here as Jerusalem, pursued by an angel brandishing a sword,  giving it a Biblical theme.  The reverse legend is: "VT.SANHERIB•A•IERVSALEM 2•REG•19" [as Sanherib fled Jerusalem, Book of Kings 2, 19].

  51.03 grams (note: this medal is somewhat heavier than the average for this type, which is around 35-40 grams. It might be a restrike, but I doubt it.)

Edited July 3, 2022 by robinjojo

[ChrisB]

6 hours ago, robinjojo said:

That's a stunning ducaton of Utrecht, Chris.  

 

Thanks. It was one of those coins that when I saw it I was star struck. It is in a details holder (cleaned) but I don't care. It made it a little more affordable. 

[UkrainiiVityaz]

[UkrainiiVityaz]

[robinjojo]

Thank you for the lovely coins posted so far!

I have a lot of coins from The Netherlands which I hope to photograph over time.  

Here are a few more:

West Friesland, lion daalder, 1641.

Davenport 4870

27.2. grams

This lion daalder of West Friesland ("WEST" at the end of the obverse legend) , from the prolific mid-1600s is typical for the coinage of the time where quantity produced was the priority at the mints.  While this coin is comparatively common, it is very distinctive at the same time. The West Friesland mint produced lion daalders with an almost unique style lion, with its small head and what I call a snub nose profile.  That feature is so typical of this mint that, with experience, one could identify this coin as being from West Friesland without even looking at the obverse. 

 

Zwolle, lion daalder, 1646.

Davenport 4885

26.4 grams

This is civic issued lion daalder, from the city of Zwolle. The lion daalders of Zwolle are distinctive for their use of the St. George slaying the dragon theme on the obverse shield instead of the rampant lion.  Because of the typically crude and uneven strike the city's legend is weak in areas, but Z(W)OL, followed by IMP can be observed on the obverse, left side.  On the reverse the date appears from about 9 to 11 o'clock.  Zwolle lion daalder have the reverse date in different positions, depending on the year.  Other dates have the year running across the reverse, half to the left of the lion and the other to the right.

The coin's flan, while not the worst in terms of metal quality, still shows minimal flan refining and preparation.  This was a truly mass production undertaking for all mints!

 

Campen, lion daalder, 1648.

Davenport 4879

27.66 grams

Lion daalders of the mid-1600s are generally readily available, thanks to large quantities from hoards and collections appearing on the auction circuit as well as dealers' price lists.  This is generally especially true for coins in the 1649 to 1651 dates from Campen (a civic issue) and other mints.

This example happens to be high grade and very pleasing to the eye.  In fact I would say that if a collector is looking for a type lion daalder, a coin such as this one will fill the role very well.

 

Zeeland, ducatoon, silver rider, 1662.

Davenport 4942

45 mm, 32.15 grams

Here's a ducatoon for a change of pace.  Like her sister crown-size coins (lion daalder, rijksdaalder and silver ducat) the large and impressive ducatoons were hammer struck over the course of the 17th century.  The result, predictably, are uneven and often off center strikes.  This coin is a typical example, perhaps even above average for this type in terms of quality.

 

Overijssel, lion daalder, 1679.

Davenport 4861

25.827 grams

This is a crude and low weight lion daalder of Overijssel ("TRANS" at the end of the obverse legend).  Overijssel means over the  IJssel River, a tributary of the Rhine River.

In addition to the low weight, the coin has obviously been around the block several times, with some scratches added for good measure.  These coins were made from .750 silver, and my experience collecting them has shown that the weights can vary significantly, almost always on the lower side of the scale. In the case of this coin, while the diameter is what one would expect, at 42mm, the flan appears slightly thin but more importantly the medal is of lower quality, as indicated by the flaws and porosity.  I am sure that wear also explains part of the low weight as well, but generally it seems that the mints, especially in the final decades of the 17th century, did not keep to tight standards when producing these trade coins.

 

Utrecht,  lion daalder, 1680, no borders.

Davenport 4865

26.45 grams

This coin is somewhat unusual.  It is a subtype without the inner border line on both sides.  Was this an oversight or intentional?  The inner border of dots appears again on Utrecht lion daalders in the subsequent years.

 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by robinjojo

[ewomack]

[John Conduitt]

Going back a bit again here. I'm not sure what counts as the Netherlands in the first millennium, but much of Frisia seems to be in the northern Netherlands now. This variety is at least named after a Dutch numismatist. Like all Series Es, I believe the design is derived from a Roman emperor bust on the obverse and standard on the reverse.

Series E, Variety D, Op den Velde Sub-Variety K, Anglo-Saxon Continental Phase Sceat, 695-740Frisia. Silver, 1.33g. Quilled crescent on wheel enclosing cross pommée with pellet in three quarters. Central pellet-in-annulet in line-beaded square, unusual geometric symbols around (S 790B; SCBI 69, 225 this coin). Ex Tony Abramson. Found by A Wicks at Amesbury, Wiltshire (not far from Stonehenge).

[robinjojo]

That's a really cool coin!

[Octavius]

 Wow! that's a magnificent looking coin.

[Ursus]

There are some truly beautiful early modern Dutch coins in this thread. And @John Conduitt's sceat is quite stunning indeed.

I can contribute this real from the Spanish Netherlands. It's nothing special, but I bought it since it shows the Order of the Golden Fleece, the most prestigious late medieval and early modern order of chivalry, on both obverse and reverse:

Spanish Netherlands, Albert VII and Isabella Clara Eugenia, 1603­­­-1607 AD, AR real, Antwerp mint. Obv: ALBERTVS ET ELISABET D G; crowned shield in collar of the Golden Fleece. Rev: ARCHIDVCES AVST DVCES BVRG ET BRAB Z; St. Andrew's cross, crown above, Golden Fleece below; in fields, A-E. 26mm, 2.98g. Ref: Gelder-Hoc 293-1; Vanhoudt 595.

[robinjojo]

Nice coin!  The Spanish Netherlands have a rich history of historic coinage. 

Here's a rijksdaalder from the Thorn Nunnery, Belgium, 1569:

Belgium, Margaretha of Brederode, Thorn Nunnery, rijksdaalder, 1569.   Ex Karl Stephens.

Davenport 8672

28.90 grams

 

The Spanish Netherlands portrait coinage of Philip II, Philip III, Philip IV, Charles II and other Hapsburg and Bourbon kings is noteworthy. 

Aside from the William the Silent, William of Orange and Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester coinage of the United Provinces, I don't know of any other coins with the portrait of a  ruler.

Here's my Leicester rijksdaalder, 1587:

Netherlands, Holland, Leicester rijksdaalder ,1587.

Davenport 8843; Delmont 900

28.79 grams

William Dudley, the First Earl of Leicester, was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I from her ascension to his death on September 4, 1588.  He was one her suitors for many years.

 

Finally, here is my William the Silent rijksdaalder, produced posthumously, following his assassination on July 10, 1584. 

Netherlands, Holland, rijksdaalder, William the Silent, 1592.

Davenport 8841

28.63 grams

William the Silent played a key role in the establishment of the United Provinces and the war against Spain's domination of the low countries.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by robinjojo

[AnYangMan]

Some fascinating Dutch coins have already been shared here; from very early sceattas to the modern kingdom! I haven’t posted a lot here and over on CT recently, mostly due to having shifted away my primary interest of Chinese coinage, from which some of you might know me, onto a particular subset of coins my home country, which just so happens to be the Netherlands! So naturally, I have some nice additions to the topic…

Earlier in the topic, @The Eidolon shared a ‘Mokumse’ florijn, a coin you could pay with in Amsterdam for a very short time in 1975 to commemorate the 700^th anniversary of the city. The design we see on the obverse of that token was actually derived from a particularly rare and monumental series of coins issued in 1601; perhaps one of the first coinages struck on the orders of a private company!

United Amsterdam Company, Silver Reaal or schelling (of 48 duiten), 1601. Struck in the provincial Dordrecht mint by mintmaster Jacob Janszoon De Jonge. Coat of arms of Holland - 1601 INSIGNIA HOLLANDIÆ / Coat of arms of Amsterdam - ET CIVITATIS AMSTELREDAMENSIS. 3.32 gram, 24 mm. CNO 1.4; Scholten 4. Ex Prof. Dr. J.W. Wurfbain (1816-1888). Full resolution.

Before the founding of the United East-India company in 1602, the Dutch trade with the east was a rather decentralized affair; lots of different companies, funded by wealthy merchants and bankers, often formed for single journeys, competing with each other for maximum profit. One of the larger ones, the Company of Distant Trade was founded in Amsterdam in 1594 and proved with its first voyage that the trade was definitely profitable if done on a proper scale. It later merged twice with the New Company in 1598 and again with the Brabantsche company in 1600 to form the United Amsterdam Company that held a monopoly granted by the city of Amsterdam on the trade with the east. The preferred payment there naturally was the Spanish reale; the whole situation in Europe meant acquiring the huge quantities required was difficult for these Dutch merchants. Thus, the company enquired with the Estate-General and the city council of Amsterdam if they were allowed to strike their own reales. This was confirmed on the 7^th of march 1601, after having checked with the governor in Bantam, albeit on two conditions. They could not circulate within the Netherlands and they needed to carry the coat of arms Holland and Amsterdam specifically, to further the reputation of these entities in the east. The inscription directly testifies to this. The contract to mint these reales was given to Jacob Jansz. De Jonge, the mintmaster in Dordrecht, who due to the private nature of this contract, did not need to pay any commission to the estates of Holland or the estates-general. The emission must have been rather small and I have yet to see evidence they were actually exported. According to the Salvesen count, 17 examples of this one reaal denomination are known. While with all the examples in museum collections the accurate amount of surviving examples is surely a little bit higher, it is an exceptional rarity and one that had been on my wishlist forever.

To complete the full set of all denominations of this emission (Eight Reaal to the quarter Reaal) is considered a major feat in Dutch numismatics, with the rarity and desirability of especially the higher denominations making it exceptionally difficult, even on a limitless budget. While it was certainly a bit easier in the 19^th century, even then only a few dedicated collectors have managed it. One such collector was J.W. Wurfbain (1816-1888), a wealthy Amsterdam banker that collected everything related to his city, from old maps to books, Rembrandts to even a few coins/medals. His collection sold via auction house Müller between the 18-21th of March 1907. Lot 260 in that catalogue, luckily fully pictured, is his complete set; the one reaal is my example! Now only to re-complete the rest of his set…

 

Another fave of mine:

Province of Zeeland, Silver Piedfort Dukaat 1694 (on double weight). Middelburg mint, mintmaster Hendrik van Dusseldorp. Standing knight with coat of arms of Zeeland - MO NO ARG PRO CONFŒ BELG COM ZEL / Crowned arms of the Generality – CONCORDIA RES PARVÆ CRESCUN. 56.15 gram, 40 mm. CNM 2.49.50;  Delmonte 976a. Ex Van Stockum auction Feb 1943. Full resolution.

A piedfort is a special type of strike using the regular dies, but on a much thicker planchet and thus a higher weight than the usual coin, in this case double the standard weight (for other types, even triple or quadruple piedforts are known!). Silver Ducats/Dukaten are already somewhat hefty at around 28 grams, so this piedfort is massive at 56.15 grams! it is difficult to see from these pictures, but its thickness is truly absurd. These were obviously not meant for circulation, but rather presentation pieces gifted to high ranking officials within the republic. The 1694 piedfort Dukaat from Zeeland is known from less than 10 examples in total, of which less than half are in private hands. The sheer size, patina and provenance make this one of my all-time favourite coins.

 

Another Daalder of Thorn (which is not and has never been in Belgium 😁) :

Imperial-abbey of Thorn, Margaretha Van Brederode (1531-1577). Daalder of 30 stuivers 1563. Coat of arms of the abbess complete with tourney helmet – MARGARE D BREDEROD AB FVN SE THOREN / Single-headed eagle from the coat of arms of Thorn – DENARIVS NOVVS TRIGINTA STVFERORVM. 28.23 grams, 40 mm. CNM 2.42.16. Ex Virgil M. Brand (1862-1926). Full Resolution

 

A family member of Margaretha that also struck coins, perhaps the most well-known Van Brederode, for his founding role in the Dutch revolt:

Lordship of Vianen, Hendrik Van Brederode (1556-1568). Silver Daalder, ca. 1557-1567. Bust of the lord left with helmet – NISI DOMINVS FRVSTRA / Coat of arms of Vianen-Van Brederode with their respective tourney helmets – MONE NO HE D D BRE LI D VY. 27.97 gram, 41 mm. CNM 2.45.11.

 

On 7/1/2022 at 8:08 PM, robinjojo said:

Here's a silver medal that I've owned for a few years.

This large medal, produced during the United Provinces' war with Spain, commemorates the ending of the Spanish occupation of Leyden on October 3, 1574.  The obverse  legend reads  "SIC•HISPA•A•LEYD•NOCTV•FVG" [Spanish fled Leiden in the night] .  The reverse has the Spanish fleeing the city, depicted here as Jerusalem, pursued by an angel brandishing a sword,  giving it a Biblical theme.  The reverse legend is: "VT.SANHERIB•A•IERVSALEM 2•REG•19" [as Sanherib fled Jerusalem, Book of Kings 2, 19].

  51.03 grams (note: this medal is somewhat heavier than the average for this type, which is around 35-40 grams. It might be a restrike, but I doubt it.)

 

Very neat medal! These weren’t actually struck in 1574, but rather later from ca. 1585 onwards as part of the extensive series of Triomfpenningen (‘triumphmedals’) ordered by the estates-general and the estates of Holland made by Gerard Van Bylaer (1553 – 1617), the head engraver of the provincial mint of Holland. They were first struck in Dordrecht ca. 1585, although the dies were kept and used to strike examples up until at least 1622. From the archives, we known of a few specific instances where off-metal gold strikes were made for different foreign ambassadors, as well as important Dutch figures in the 1590’s. Two different reverse dies are known; your example shares the same one as all known gold off-metal strikes and the example we know to have been struck ca. 1622. Whether this means that the other die (with a more heavily burning entrenchment of Zoeterwoude), which is MUCH rarer, was used first remains up for debate. I am unaware of anyone having dove deeper into the weights of these pieces. At 48.2mm yours is slightly bigger than most examples as well. The medals of Van Bylaer remain some of the most gorgeous pieces of the early republic and have this unique fabric and style you instantly recognise!

Edited July 9, 2022 by AnYangMan

[robinjojo]

20 hours ago, AnYangMan said:

Some fascinating Dutch coins have already been shared here; from very early sceattas to the modern kingdom! I haven’t posted a lot here and over on CT recently, mostly due to having shifted away my primary interest of Chinese coinage, from which some of you might know me, onto a particular subset of coins my home country, which just so happens to be the Netherlands! So naturally, I have some nice additions to the topic…

Earlier in the topic, @The Eidolon shared a ‘Mokumse’ florijn, a coin you could pay with in Amsterdam for a very short time in 1975 to commemorate the 700^th anniversary of the city. The design we see on the obverse of that token was actually derived from a particularly rare and monumental series of coins issued in 1601; perhaps one of the first coinages struck on the orders of a private company!

United Amsterdam Company, Silver Reaal or schelling (of 48 duiten), 1601. Struck in the provincial Dordrecht mint by mintmaster Jacob Janszoon De Jonge. Coat of arms of Holland - 1601 INSIGNIA HOLLANDIÆ / Coat of arms of Amsterdam - ET CIVITATIS AMSTELREDAMENSIS. 3.32 gram, 24 mm. CNO 1.4; Scholten 4. Ex Prof. Dr. J.W. Wurfbain (1816-1888). Full resolution.

Before the founding of the United East-India company in 1602, the Dutch trade with the east was a rather decentralized affair; lots of different companies, funded by wealthy merchants and bankers, often formed for single journeys, competing with each other for maximum profit. One of the larger ones, the Company of Distant Trade was founded in Amsterdam in 1594 and proved with its first voyage that the trade was definitely profitable if done on a proper scale. It later merged twice with the New Company in 1598 and again with the Brabantsche company in 1600 to form the United Amsterdam Company that held a monopoly granted by the city of Amsterdam on the trade with the east. The preferred payment there naturally was the Spanish reale; the whole situation in Europe meant acquiring the huge quantities required was difficult for these Dutch merchants. Thus, the company enquired with the Estate-General and the city council of Amsterdam if they were allowed to strike their own reales. This was confirmed on the 7^th of march 1601, after having checked with the governor in Bantam, albeit on two conditions. They could not circulate within the Netherlands and they needed to carry the coat of arms Holland and Amsterdam specifically, to further the reputation of these entities in the east. The inscription directly testifies to this. The contract to mint these reales was given to Jacob Jansz. De Jonge, the mintmaster in Dordrecht, who due to the private nature of this contract, did not need to pay any commission to the estates of Holland or the estates-general. The emission must have been rather small and I have yet to see evidence they were actually exported. According to the Salvesen count, 17 examples of this one reaal denomination are known. While with all the examples in museum collections the accurate amount of surviving examples is surely a little bit higher, it is an exceptional rarity and one that had been on my wishlist forever.

To complete the full set of all denominations of this emission (Eight Reaal to the quarter Reaal) is considered a major feat in Dutch numismatics, with the rarity and desirability of especially the higher denominations making it exceptionally difficult, even on a limitless budget. While it was certainly a bit easier in the 19^th century, even then only a few dedicated collectors have managed it. One such collector was J.W. Wurfbain (1816-1888), a wealthy Amsterdam banker that collected everything related to his city, from old maps to books, Rembrandts to even a few coins/medals. His collection sold via auction house Müller between the 18-21th of March 1907. Lot 260 in that catalogue, luckily fully pictured, is his complete set; the one reaal is my example! Now only to re-complete the rest of his set…

 

Another fave of mine:

Province of Zeeland, Silver Piedfort Dukaat 1694 (on double weight). Middelburg mint, mintmaster Hendrik van Dusseldorp. Standing knight with coat of arms of Zeeland - MO NO ARG PRO CONFŒ BELG COM ZEL / Crowned arms of the Generality – CONCORDIA RES PARVÆ CRESCUN. 56.15 gram, 40 mm. CNM 2.49.50;  Delmonte 976a. Ex Van Stockum auction Feb 1943. Full resolution.

A piedfort is a special type of strike using the regular dies, but on a much thicker planchet and thus a higher weight than the usual coin, in this case double the standard weight (for other types, even triple or quadruple piedforts are known!). Silver Ducats/Dukaten are already somewhat hefty at around 28 grams, so this piedfort is massive at 56.15 grams! it is difficult to see from these pictures, but its thickness is truly absurd. These were obviously not meant for circulation, but rather presentation pieces gifted to high ranking officials within the republic. The 1694 piedfort Dukaat from Zeeland is known from less than 10 examples in total, of which less than half are in private hands. The sheer size, patina and provenance make this one of my all-time favourite coins.

 

Another Daalder of Thorn (which is not and has never been in Belgium 😁) :

Imperial-abbey of Thorn, Margaretha Van Brederode (1531-1577). Daalder of 30 stuivers 1563. Coat of arms of the abbess complete with tourney helmet – MARGARE D BREDEROD AB FVN SE THOREN / Single-headed eagle from the coat of arms of Thorn – DENARIVS NOVVS TRIGINTA STVFERORVM. 28.23 grams, 40 mm. CNM 2.42.16. Ex Virgil M. Brand (1862-1926). Full Resolution

 

A family member of Margaretha that also struck coins, perhaps the most well-known Van Brederode, for his founding role in the Dutch revolt:

Lordship of Vianen, Hendrik Van Brederode (1556-1568). Silver Daalder, ca. 1557-1567. Bust of the lord left with helmet – NISI DOMINVS FRVSTRA / Coat of arms of Vianen-Van Brederode with their respective tourney helmets – MONE NO HE D D BRE LI D VY. 27.97 gram, 41 mm. CNM 2.45.11.

 

Very neat medal! These weren’t actually struck in 1574, but rather later from ca. 1585 onwards as part of the extensive series of Triomfpenningen (‘triumphmedals’) ordered by the estates-general and the estates of Holland made by Gerard Van Bylaer (1553 – 1617), the head engraver of the provincial mint of Holland. They were first struck in Dordrecht ca. 1585, although the dies were kept and used to strike examples up until at least 1622. From the archives, we known of a few specific instances where off-metal gold strikes were made for different foreign ambassadors, as well as important Dutch figures in the 1590’s. Two different reverse dies are known; your example shares the same one as all known gold off-metal strikes and the example we know to have been struck ca. 1622. Whether this means that the other die (with a more heavily burning entrenchment of Zoeterwoude), which is MUCH rarer, was used first remains up for debate. I am unaware of anyone having dove deeper into the weights of these pieces. At 48.2mm yours is slightly bigger than most examples as well. The medals of Van Bylaer remain some of the most gorgeous pieces of the early republic and have this unique fabric and style you instantly recognise!

What wonderful examples, and that United Amsterdam Company reaal is a super rare coin!  Congratulations on acquiring one of these extremely elusive coins.

Thank you so much for the information that you provided, including the Leyden medal.  I had no luck locating any detailed information on it, so I will be sure to include your information with the medal.

I like coins with the City of Amsterdam arms.  I have two, a klippe necessity coin that I need to photograph. I'll try to do that.

The other coin is a double ducatoon, 1673.

Holland, 2 ducatoons, 1673.

Davenport 4932

65.28g

As is typical of hammer struck coins, the strike is a bit uneven, but at least there isn't any significant doubling.

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by robinjojo

[AnYangMan]

Woah! Terrific piece @robinjojo! The move of the mint of Holland to Amsterdam in 1672-73 is an amazing story. These piedforts and similar strikes were specifically produced in relatively large quantities as souvenirs (to the financial benefit of the mint master) for the citizens of Amsterdam that could visit the mint after the initial danger of the French invasion had subsided and the collected silver from the special loan was transformed into the rough ducatons from the initial 1672 and early 1673 type (in total ca. 1.4 million ducatons were struck!). The amount of different types/dies and also the amount special strikes is simply mesmerizing for a series that officially lasted just 12 months. The former was likely due to the haste with which the mint was set up and the relative inexperience of the mint workers, the latter due to the fascination of the Amsterdam people with the fact that they now had their very own mint! A fact they were all too proud of, as testified by some of the edge inscriptions on the later souvenir pieces (TER GEDACHTENISSE VAN DE MUNTE VAN AMSTEDAM ‘For remembrance of the mint of Amsterdam’). Most of these special strikes were produced after the mint already closed in the private studio of the famous Christoffel Adolphi, who was the only person in Amsterdam with a milling machine and the only person in the whole of the Northern Netherlands with a machine that could apply edge inscriptions. At that time, these piedforts and related strikes could simply be bought from him for a fee, as with a lot of the designs made by Adolphi (1671-2 Dukaton trial for Holland, Utrecht rijksdaalder 1680, etc.). The exact typology is rather complex, but yours belongs to a group that used dies produced by Roelof Hensbergen, but which we are not entirely sure where to put in the relative chronology. It seems to have been either just before or after the closing of the mint in November 1673. One of these, preferably with the edge inscriptions from Adolphi, is also on my wishlist!

I’d love to see the 1578 siege coin! I am still looking for a larger denomination, as I only have a single small 5 stuiver piece (which I need to reshoot in a proper resolution):

Blockade of Amsterdam 1578, emergency silver five Stuiver. Emission of january 5th 1578. ‘Briquet’ Hallmark above, identity of silversmith unknown. Crowned coat of arms of Amsterdam – V S 1578 / Engraved ‘IM’ or ‘WI’. 3.32 grams. CNM 2.02.16; Van Gelder 116a. Ex. Künker 2017

 

 

[robinjojo]

That's a very nice necessity coin!  When I was visiting the Rijksmuseum back in the 80s I saw an exhibit of these coins in all of the denominations, 

Here's my example, a necessity 40 stuivers AR "klippe", 1578,, with a PG countermark monogram above the city's arms, that looks as if the flan was cut from a silver object, perhaps a plate.

I acquired this coin from World Wide Coins of California, back in the mid 1980s.

27.2 grams 

 

I have one more necessity coin from the war with Spain, from Maestricht.  This coin came from my local coin dealer several years ago.

Netherlands, Maestricht, AE 40 stuivers, 1579, issued during the siege by the Duke of Parma.

19.15 grams

Edited July 11, 2022 by robinjojo