This post incorporates a news release from the Coin & Currency Institute.
An anniversary in Dutch coinage is occurring this year as the Netherlands marks the 200th anniversary of the minting of the gold ducat in its current form. To commemorate the occasion, the single gold ducat for 2017 is being struck as a one-time-only anniversary edition, with the original design—the thin, armored knight that was used from 1817 until 1986—and with the dual dates of 1817 and 2017. (In March, Michael Alexander reported on the lion daalder, or leeuwendalder, which is also being honored by the Royal Dutch Mint this year.)
The gold ducat was first struck in Venice in the 13th century. They became widely valued as trade coins, and as the years passed, other countries began to mint gold ducats, as well. Among these was Holland, which began minting the coins under the United Provinces in 1586. Although the design on the Dutch gold ducat has changed over the centuries, the basic type has not, making it the oldest continuously issued gold coin in the world.
The effigy of a slender, standing knight evolved from that used on the Hungarian gold ducat, one of the designs the Dutch repurposed for their own coinage. The knight is depicted in a standing pose, in a three-quarter profile to the left; he holds a sword in his right hand pointing back over his right shoulder, and seven arrows, representing the seven provinces, in his left hand. (The number of arrows could vary, depending on the preferences of the die-cutter.) The legend, which reads clockwise from upper right and is divided by the standing figure, is CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT, which can be translated as “small things flourish by concord” or “unity makes small things great.” The reverse depicts a tablet with the legend in five lines: MO. ORD. / PROVIN. / FOEDER. / BELG. AD. / LEG. IMP.—an abbreviation of “Moneta Ordinum Provinciarum Foederatarum Belgii ad Legem Imperii” (“A coin of the provinces of the United Netherlands according to the law of the empire”).
From 1586 onward, Dutch ducats weighed 3.52 grams and were .986 gold. The double ducat (same fineness, twice the weight) came from the province of Friesland in 1612, and the Dutch Kingdom continued the practice. In 1817, the single gold ducat was adjusted to weigh 3.454 grams at a purity of .983. This standard has remained unchanged for 200 years.
The Netherlands gold ducat of 2017 bears two dates, each divided by the knight’s legs: 2017 and 1817, marking the endpoints of the two-century span. To the right of the knight’s head is the Utrecht Mint’s caduceus mintmark; to the left of the knight’s head is a privy mark in the shape of a sailing clipper ship. The gold double ducat of 2017 follows the style currently in use; the knight wears a Spanish-looking helmet and carries five arrows in his left hand. Only the current date is present, and the clipper ship and caduceus are to the left and right of the legs instead of the head. The legend is set off with inner and outer beaded bands.
The gold ducat and double ducat are both minted in Proof quality and are being offered on a reservation-only basis until the end of May. Sales will then close, and the mintage will be restricted to the number of orders received. In 2016 the issued quantities were 1,045 gold ducats and only 845 double ducats. It is expected that the remaining coins on the aftermarket will be only a small number.
The coins are struck to the longtime Dutch ducat standard of .983 fine gold, as mentioned above. The single gold ducat weighs 3.494 grams and is 21 mm in diameter; the 26 mm gold double ducat weighs 6.988 grams.
The coins can be purchased from the Coin & Currency Institute in Vermont, which is accepting orders on a first-come, first-served basis until May 31, 2017. For more information on the coins, or to order, visit http://www.coin-currency.com or contact the Coin & Currency Institute, P.O. Box 399, Williston, VT 05495. Toll-free 1-800-421-1866. Fax 802-536-4787. E-mail: ❑