Notes on Dutch coinage

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Of the Money of the seven Provinces

In Amsterdam & the towns of Holland they reccon bargain & exchange by Florens (or Livres,) sols & Deniers which the country people call Guldens styvers & Penninghen or Gilders Styvers & Pence. Sixteen Deniers (which they call deniers common) make a sol & 20 sols and twentyy sols a Floren. They have also Livres sols & deniers de Gross. Twelve Grosses or Deniers de Gross make a sol de gross or schelling & twenty schellings a Livre de gross or pondt Vlaem. And a Livre de Gross is 6 Florens, & a skelling six styvers & a styver two Grosses, & 8 Duytes & 16 Deniers.

The real gold monies of Amsterdam & Holland are

Ducats or Ducatons	valued at	20 Florens
Ducats or Soveraigns		15
Ducats or quarters of Ducats		5
Rose nobles		11

Their silver monies are

Ducatons valued at	3 Florens 3 sols current money
Drie Guldens or three Gilder pieces	3 Florens, wors 2dt, weight 1oz 8gr, value in exchange 5s. 2$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$d.
Rix Duelders or Patagons	2$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ Forens
Croons	2 Florens
Duelders	1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ Florens
Gout Guldens or Gold Gilders of Coarse ☽	1 Floren 8 sols = 28 styvers
Florens or Guldens	1 Floren or 20 sols communs
Sols de Gross or Schellings	6 sols communs = 12 Gross
Sols communs or Styvers	2 Gross = 8 Duytes = 16 Deniers.

The half & quarter pieces are in proportion.

They have other pieces of 2, 3, 4, 8, 12$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ sols & divers others for payment, & Duytes or Deniers of copper of which 8 make the Sol or Stuyver.

The money of the Banck (which is called Banck money & consists in bills of credit upon the Banck) is also reccomd{illeg}y Florens & deniers & is better then specie money of

Three Guilder pieces (according to Mr Floyer)	3 per cent
Cross Dollars & Ducatons	4 per cent
Skillings & 28 Styvers & Styvers	5 per cent

Bank money varies & is better then Dollars & Ducatons from 3 to 6 per cent & then other money proportionally. The buyer & seller of Bank money give 1 per mille to the Bank for entring the bargain: the buyer gives one half & the seller the other half. The Gold monies of Holland are above the specie coyns at 6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ per cent, above bank money at per cent

A three Guilder piece is stampt with a Minerva leaning on an altar & holding a hat on a peer with this motto Hae nitimur hanc tuemur & on the reverse a Belgic Lyon & sometimes a Lyon & erect cross quartered. Inscription No. Na. argent G. V. &c. Mr Floyer in one paper makes the 3 Guilder piece Worse 4dt. the weight 20dt 6gr, in another paper worth 3dt weight 20dt. 8gr in another 3, 4, 5 or 6dt worse. The following 3 Guilder pieces were weighed by me in Sept 1700 & assayed in the Tower

The date

1682

1686

1687

1691

1695

1696

1697

1698

weight

1oz

4gr

1oz

7gr$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$

1oz

5gr

1oz

6gr

1oz

11gr

1oz

5gr$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$

1oz.

9$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr

1oz

6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr

worsness

1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt

1dwt

1dwt

1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt

2dwt

1dwt

1dwt

1dwt

Allowing the wast of a grain in every 6 years wearing their weight one with another when new coyned was 1oz 8gr, but they were unequally sized erring in excess & defect of weight 2 or 3 grains or above. Comparing these observations with Mr Floyers they may be recconed 11 ounces fine, & so when new coynd are worth 5s 2$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$d of just standard English money, or 5d. 2$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$d of our money new out of the Mint or in course of Exchange. If a grain be added to the weight so that the weight be 1oz 9gr they will equal they make the imaginary current money of which 444$\frac{\mathrm{4}}{\mathrm{9}}$ deniers de gross (or 37sch. 0$\frac{\mathrm{4}}{\mathrm{6}}$ gross) equal 1℔ sterling in exchange, & 100 deniers de gross equal 54 pence sterling which is a Rix doller or Ecus. The Dutch therefore in the course of exchange overvalue their current money 3 per cent & should put 38$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$sch {illeg}l to 1li sterling. At 11$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{24}}$oz fine & 1oz 8gr weight they are worth 5s 2$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{10}}$d standard & 5s 3d in exchange.

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Three Dutch Ducatons coynd 1672, 1673, 1675 weighing 20dwt. 16$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr. 20dwt 20d$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$, 20s18d$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$ better 3dwt, 3dwt scant, 4dwt. The first coynd in Zeland & most worn, the 2d & 3d coynd in H{illeg} The 3d not worn above a grain or 1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$gr, the 2d not above 2gr. On one side a man on horsback on the other the Belgic Lyon with a sword & seven darts in a scutcheon supported by Lyons. Valued at 5s 8d a piece by the Refiners. The inscription Mo. No. Arg. pro confoe Belg. Prov. Holl. Westf. &c & on the Reverse Concordia res parvæ crescunt. If their weight be supposed 1oz. 21gr & their betterness 3dwt they will be worth 5s. 5d$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{5}}$ a piece of our standard money & 5s. 5d$\frac{\mathrm{9}}{\mathrm{10}}$ in course of exchange, & if a grain be added to their weight they will be worth 5s 6d a piece in course of exchange.

By these assays we may reccon exactly enough that if Banck money be supposed 5 per cent better then specie money of the same denomination, & pounds schellings & deniers English, speecie money de gross of Holland & Banck money of Amsterdam of the same denomination are matically in proportion as 11. 20 & 21. That is 11 shillings sterling = 20 schellings Bank money = 21 schellings specie money; & 20 shillings sterling = 36$\frac{\mathrm{4}}{\mathrm{11}}$sch bank money = 38$\frac{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{11}}$ species money of the seven Provinces very nearly.

Patagons, Rix dollers or Legg dollers have on them an armed man with a sword to his right hand the blade leaning on his shoulder & in his left hand a double string at which hands an Escutcheon with the Arms of a Dutch Province covering his left leg. His right legg stands full in view. About it this inscription Mo. No. arg. pro confoe Belg. Westf. com. Zel. &c And on the reverse the arms of the seven Provinces vizt in an Escutcheon a Lyon rampant with a sword in one foot & seven darts in the other with this inscription: Concordia res parvæ crescunt.

One piece 1697 not worn, worse 13$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt, weight 17dwt 23$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr

Another 1698 not worn, worse 15dwt. weight 17dwt 23$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$gr

Another 1695 not worn, worse 13dwt, weight 18dwt 1$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr

Another 1701 not worn worse 14dwt 06 weight 18dwt

Several others coyned in 1701 were found by assays in the lower 12dwt worse & one of them 13dwt worse. They should be therefore 10$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ ounces fine but often prove a penny weight sometimes two or three penny weight worse. Supposing that they weigh 18dwt & are 10$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ ounces fine, they will be worth 4s. 4$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$d$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{30}}$. In Holland they go for 2$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ Florens, {illeg} is 4s. 4d$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ of our money.

Lyon Dollars are worth two thirds of a Ducaton or 3s 8d. Their stamp is a man to the thighs holding an Escutcheon before him with this inscription Mo. No. Ar. pro Confoe. Belg. Westf. Campen &c And on the Reverse a great Lyon rampant with this inscription Confidens Deo non movetur.

One piece 1640 worse 2oz 5dwt weight 5$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr

Another 1687 worse 2oz 2dwt. weight 17dwt 12gr very little worn

Another 1650 worse 2oz 1$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$dwt weight 16dt. 18gr

Another 1687 worse 2oz 7dwt. weight 17dwt 13$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$gr very little worn.

Three others not assayed dated 1641, 1645, 1648 weighed 17dwt 7gr$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$; 17dwt {illeg} 17dwt 6g$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$. They seem to be 9 ounces fine by law but often happen to be three {illeg} penny weight coarser. Reynolds puts them 8oz 11dwt fine & 17dwt 18gr weight. Their {illeg} is rather 17dwt 13 or 14gr new out of the Mint.