Dutch Colonial - Holland: 1586-1791
Gold Trade Ducat

Gold Trade Ducat of United Province of Holland, Netherlands. Gold Ducat of the United Provinces was dispatched to Ceilon during the 18th century Dutch occupation of the Island's Coast.

SPECIFICATIONS
Denomination135 Stuivers
ExpectedGold.986
Metal XRF Gold Au.984
Alloy Ag%Cu 0.44
TypeStruck
Diameter21.8 mm
Thickness1.3 mm
Weight Legal3.49 gms
Weight3.46 gms
ShapeRound
EdgeMilled
DieAxisO°
MintHolland
 1752_hol_ducat_au_obverse 1752_hol_ducat_au_reverse
Holland/Netherlands KM #12
Obverse : Within ornamental square tablet the Latin legend - MO:ORD PROVIN FOEDER BELG.AD LEG.IMP expands to MOneta ORDinum PROVINciarum FOEDERatorum BELGicarum CE LEGem IMPerii which translates as "Coin of government of the provincial federation of Belgium Conforming with the law of the Imperial"
Reverse : A Knight facing right standing in armor with a sword in right hand and a bundle of arrows in the left divide the year of issue 17 52. Along periphery the Latin legend CONCORDIA.RES PAR.CRES.HOL expands to CONCORDIA RES PARvae CREScunt HOLlandiae which translates as "Through concord little things grow - Holland" (Union is strength).

Those of the province of Holland are mentioned specifically in a number of places in Codrington and in X§26 states that the Type (1) of Verkade is rare. Type (2) : usually of the sixth, seventh, and eighth decades of the eighteenth century (1750-1780) are found in Ceylon. Occasionally found marked with B (Batavian Plakaat Boek 3-7/9/1686) and Java in Malay characters.

Years of Issue from Krause.
1603160416051606 16081609
16101611
16211622
163116321633163416351636163716381639
1640164116421643164416451646164716481649
165016511652165316541655 165716581659
1660166116621663166416651666 1668
167216731674
1683 16851686 1688
1691 1693 16981699
17021703 1707 1709
1715 17181719
1720172117221723172417251726172717281729
1730173117321733173417351736173717381739
1740174117421743174417451746174717481749
1750175117521753175417551756175717581759
1760176117621763176417651766176717681769
1770177117721773177417751776177717781779
17801781178217831784
17901791

The 0.986 pure gold Dutch trade ducat (0.1106oz AGW) minted since 1586 is almost the same weight and dimensions of the standard 0.999 pure gold Venetian Ducat (0.1122oz AGW) minted since 1284. The extensive influence of Provinces of the Netherlands in commerce of the 18th century made these gold coins the International standard of World trade similer to the acceptance of the US$ in the late 20th Century.

The coin was scanned at 300 dpi and displayed at 300 dpi. The VF condition coin with a slight rectified bend visible was purchased on ebay in 2000 March from a US dealer as XF Unbent. !! Beware of the low resolution scan. It is not one that circulated in Lanka.

Text edited from
* Ceylon Coins and Currency By H. W. Codrington. Colombo 1924
  Page 130 Chapter IX-X Dutch

I thank Netherlander Jan Ruwaert and Gerrit Nimrod for their comments on this page.