1 Ducaton Dutch Republic (1581 - 1795) Silver

1772, Netherlands, West Friesland. Large Silver Rider (Ducaton) Coin. 32.46g!
Mint Date: 1772
Province: West Friesland
Reference: Davenport 1834, KM-127.2.
Denomination: Silver Rider Ducaton of 60 Stuivers
Diameter: 43mm Weight: 32.46gm
Material: Silver
Obverse: Armored knight on horse, holding sword and galloping right above crowned shield with arms of West-Friesland. Legend: MO : NO : ARG : PRO : CONFOE (crowned shield of West Friesland) BELG : PRO : WESTF . (privy mark: hering ship)
Reverse: Crowned shield with dutch arms, supported by crowned lions, date (1772) within foliage below. Legend: CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT *
In 1659 the Dutch states started production of the ‘silver rider’ ducaton, featuring a mounted knight on horseback. This design weighing 32.779 grams of 0.941 silver also featured the crowned arms of the United Netherlands on the reverse, with a shield below the knight indicating the province of minting. Rider ducatons were minted until 1798. In the period 1726-1751 ducatons were minted bearing the monogram of the Dutch East India Company. As a trade coin the familiar design of the Dutch rider helped it to compete against well-known world coins such as the Spanish dollar. It was valued at 60 stuivers. em>. The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (or "of the Seven United Provinces") (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden/Provinciën; also Dutch Republic or United Provinces in short, Foederatae Belgii Provinciae or Belgica Foederata in Latin) was a European republic between 1581 and 1795, in about the same location as the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is the successor state. Before 1581, the area of the Low Countries consisted of a number of duchies, counties, and independent bishoprics, some but not all of them part of the Holy Roman Empire. Today that area is divided between the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of France and Germany. The Low Countries in the 16th century roughly corresponded to the Seventeen Provinces covered by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Through marriage, war or sale, these states were acquired by the Habsburg emperor Charles V and his son, king Philip II of Spain. In 1568, the Netherlands, led by William I of Orange, revolted against Philip II because of high taxes, persecution of Protestants by the government, and Philip’s efforts to modernize and centralize the devolved medieval government structures of the provinces. This was the start of the Eighty Years' War. In 1579, a number of the northern provinces of the Netherlands signed the Union of Utrecht, in which they promised to support each other in their defence against the Spanish army. This was followed in 1581 by the Act of Abjuration, the declaration of independence in which the provinces officially deposed Philip II. The United Provinces first tried to choose their own lord, and they asked the Duke of Anjou (sovereign from 1581-1583) to rule them. Later, after the assassination of William of Orange (July 10, 1584), both Henry III of France and Elizabeth I of England declined the offer of sovereignty. However, the latter agreed to turn the United Provinces into a protectorate of England (Treaty of Nonsuch, 1585), and sent the Earl of Leicester as governor-general. This was not a success, and in 1588 the provinces became a Republic.