Ducaton
Encyclopedia
The ducaton, ducatone or ducatoon was a crown-sized silver coin of the 16th-18th centuries.
The first ducaton-type coin was the scudo
known as the 'ducatone da soldi cento' (of 100 soldi), issued by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
, in Milan in 1551. Ducatones were produced in greater numbers in numerous Italian states through the 1600s, spreading to other parts of the Spanish Empire, including Burgundy and the Netherlands - in 1618 the ducaton was produced in Brabant
and Tournai
comprising 32.48 grams of 0.944 silver depicting Albert and Isabella
.
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 stuiver
s.
Similar silver coins:
The first ducaton-type coin was the scudo
Italian scudo
The scudo was the name for a number of coins used in Italy until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin scutum . From the 16th century, the name was used in Italy for large silver coins...
known as the 'ducatone da soldi cento' (of 100 soldi), issued by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, in Milan in 1551. Ducatones were produced in greater numbers in numerous Italian states through the 1600s, spreading to other parts of the Spanish Empire, including Burgundy and the Netherlands - in 1618 the ducaton was produced in Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
and Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
comprising 32.48 grams of 0.944 silver depicting Albert and Isabella
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
.
Silver rider
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 NetherlandsUnited Netherlands
United Netherlands is an educational student-led organization that focuses on the theory and practice of international relations and diplomacy...
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
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
.
As a trade coin
Trade coin
Trade coins are coins minted by a government, but not necessarily current within the territory of the issuing country. These quasi bullion coins were thus actually export goods - that is, bullion in the form of coins, used to bulk buy important goods from other countries, where they could be...
the familiar design of the Dutch rider helped it to compete against well-known world coins such as the Spanish dollar
Spanish dollar
The Spanish dollar is a silver coin, of approximately 38 mm diameter, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. Its purpose was to correspond to the German thaler...
. It was valued at 60 stuiver
Stuiver
The stuiver was a pre-decimal coin used in the Netherlands It was worth 16 penning or 8 duit. Twenty stuivers equalled a guilder.It circulated until the Napoleonic Wars...
s.
See also
- The gold ducatDucatThe ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
.
Similar silver coins:
- Dutch rijksdaalderDutch rijksdaalderThe rijksdaalder was a Dutch coin first issued by the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in the late 16th century during the Dutch Revolt. Featuring an armored half bust of the William the Silent, rijksdaalder was minted to the Saxon reichsthaler weight standard - 448 grains of .885 fine...
- Spanish dollarSpanish dollarThe Spanish dollar is a silver coin, of approximately 38 mm diameter, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. Its purpose was to correspond to the German thaler...
- ThalerThalerThe Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
- The 3 guilderGuilderGuilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
piece, a slightly lighter coin (31.82 grams) made of 0.92 silver. Minted from 1680 to 1832.