The Prince's flag of Orange-Nassau. By 1652 a red-white-blue flag was instated as the official flag by the opponents of the Orangists. That flag is still used by The Netherlands today.
Map of the Seven Provinces that founded the Dutch Republic. Drenthe was too sparsely populated to have its own provincial states. The 'Staats' territories were conquered after 1609 and were ruled centrally from The Hague.
History
The Low Countries before the Dutch Republic
During the Middle Ages the Low Countries were part of the Holy Roman Empire, and consisted of all kinds of lordships, counties and bishoprics. In 1384 most of these entities of present-day Benelux were united under the dukes of Burgundy. The House of Habsburg acquired the Burgundian Netherlands through marriage in 1482, and in 1516 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V became King of Spain through inheritance, commencing almost two centuries of Habsburg rule over the Spanish Empire.
Though Charles' rule was relatively liberal, his son Philip II's reign (1556-1598) tried to increase his influence on the distant Low Countries by increasing taxes and imposing harsh measures against the Protestant Reformation that gained a lot of influence in Northern Europe. These and the geographic distance to Spain that made efficient rule impossible, were the main causes of the Dutch Revolt or Eighty Years' War that started in 1568 and ended in 1648.
Eighty Years' War (1568-1648)
The Dutch rebels were led by William the Silent, Prince of Orange and Nassau and founding father of the Netherlands. He was appointed Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht by King Philip II but turned against him when confronted by Philip's harsh measures, which included the beheadings of Dutch noblemen and suppression of Protestants.
The first years of the Dutch revolt brought many hardships with Spanish troops causing massacres on their campaigns. The rebel provinces formed the Union of Utrecht in 1579, and officially denounced the King of Spain in the Act of Abjuration in 1581, one of history's first declarations of independence. The Spanish managed to conquer vast parts of present-day Belgium and southern Netherlands, but under the leadership of Stadtholder Maurice of Orange-Nassau (son of William) the rebels were successful in driving the Spanish back to what currently is the south part of The Netherlands. A truce in 1609 effectively cemented the Dutch Republic's independence, although it was not recognised by Spain.
The Dutch Republic initially lost southern territories to Spain, but an alliance with France and England and the miltary tactics of Prince Maurice turned the tide.
The second phase of the Eighty Years' War conincided with the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) that saw most of Europe involved in what started as a religious conflict in the Holy Roman Empire. The Dutch, by then an established naval power, were first reluctant to take the initiative but soon the Spanish Empire, which was part of the anti-protestant alliance, saw opportunities for revenge. France, fearing Spanish power more than protestants, chose to ally with the Dutch which gave them the opportunity to retake the initiative and annex some catholic southern provinces to the republic. The war was concluded with the Peace of Munster in 1648.
The Dutch Golden Age (17th century)
The 12-year truce (1609-1621) allowed Dutch Republic to develop further into a naval and maritime power of global significance. The Dutch Republic attracted a lot of skilled immigrants because of its relative tolerance. Elites that were prosecuted elsewhere, such as Iberian Jews and French and Flemish Protestants flocked to the Dutch cities and brought their global networks with them. In contrast, the Flemish cities that flourished during the centuries before, declined in importance as they lost skilled citizens to towns like Amsterdam.
It was the start of the Dutch Golden Age, famous for its artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, but also for founding the first publicly traded multinational corporation: the United Dutch East India Company or VOC. The republic became very wealthy through maritime trade, establishing trading posts in many parts of the world. Although the East Indies spice trade was famous, most money came from the Baltic Sea trade. The dark side of Dutch economic and naval power was involvement in piracy, slave trade and harsh treatment of the native people that produced the profitable spices.
Despite the great achievements the Dutch Republic was religiously and politically divided. On the religious fronts moderare and orthodox Protestants often clashed, influencing also politics between the various republican factions and the Orangists who supported the princes.
The Regents versus the Princes of Orange (1650-1672)
A large rivalry existed between supporters of the Princes of Orange and the republican Regents formed out elite families, who disliked the concept of a hereditary monarchy. From 1650 until 1672 the Regents ruled the Republic very succesfully, but a military crisis in 1672, during which the Dutch Republic was besieged by all its neighbours, allowed for the return of a Prince of Orange: William III. Under William's leadership the invading English and French forces were defeated and the Dutch Republic's independence was maintained.
Steady decline (1689-1795)
Stadtholder William III became King of England in 1689 following the Glorious Revolution during which he used his marriage to Princess Mary and an alliance with English members of parliament to acquire the throne. This event marked the beginning of the constitutional monarchy that the UK still is today. One of the consequences was that many Dutch elites moved to London, decisively eclipsing Amsterdam as the world's biggest financial center. The Dutch Republic also did not have the population growth nor other resources to play a large role in global affairs anymore. The Dutch elites that inherited the fortunes of their entrepreneurial ancestors spent most of their efforts in rent-seeking activities. The once prosperous VOC was eventually bankrupted and dismantled in 1799.
During the 18th century the Dutch Republic stagnated and the political feud between the Orangists and republicans flared up again. It was eventually the French Revolution in 1789 that emboldened the republicans to overthrow the Orangists with French help in 1795.
French period (1795-1814)
From 1795 until 1806 the country was a French client state known as the Batavian Republic. Napoleon made his younger brother Louis Napoleon King of Holland in 1806. Despite being a foreigner, Louis Napoleon was quite popular with the Dutch population. But in 1810 the Kingdom of Holland was annexed to the French Empire. All Dutch provinces were abolished and new départements were created named after rivers to purposefully disconnect them from history and secessionist sentiments.
Kingdom of The Netherlands (1814-date)
Napoleon's defeat allowed for the return of the Orangists in the Netherlands in 1814. William, son of the last Stadtholder William V, became the first King of the Netherlands. In order to create a strong buffer state north of France, the former Southern Netherlands and Bishopric of Liege were included in the kingdom. Despite good intentions, two centuries of division between north and south caused Belgium to revolt and declare independence in 1830. Luxembourg was granted independence in 1839, but remained in personal union with the Netherlands until 1890.
Dutch overseas posessions
The first Dutch overseas endeavours targeted Portuguese trading posts in Africa and along the Indian Ocean. The Dutch East India Company founded Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia's capital) in 1610 and Deshima in Japan in 1641, but conquered Malacca, Ceylon and some Indian trading posts from the Portuguese between 1641 and 1662. In those days the VOC were so powerful that they issued their own currency in great abundance.
In order to support the sea routes between East Asia and Europe, the VOC founded the Cape Colony in South Africa in 1652. The Portuguese slave trading outpost of Fort Elmina in Gold Coast was captured in 1637 and forms a dark page in the history of the European slave trade between Africa and the Americas.
In the Americas the Dutch established The New Netherlands around present-day New York in 1614. The English conquered it in 1664 and renamed it in honour of the Duke of York. In return, the Dutch were allowed the sugar plantations in Guyana, which became known as Suriname. The Dutch held parts of Brazil between 1630 and 1654, but a local uprising returned it to Portuguese control. The Dutch conquered Curaçao and some other Caribbean islands during that time.
The Napoleonic Wars allowed the British to take a part of Guyana (Demarara & Essequibo), Cape Colony, Ceylon and Malacca from the Dutch. The Dutch were allowed to keep the Netherlands East Indies, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, but the British Empire had by that time already far eclipsed the Dutch as a naval power.
Currency
The Dutch Republic's main unit of account was the Gulden (Guilder), worth 20 Stuivers (Stivers) each of 8 Duit. The Gulden was derived from the Florentine Fiorino d'Oro, a 14th century coin of 3.5 grams of pure gold that was copied in many European regions. Over the centuries, it was gradually debased until it contained only silver by the 16th century. The Carolusgulden of that time was the first that was officially divided in 20 Stuivers and this would remain in place from then on. The Gulden contained around 10 grams of silver.
The Stuiver dates back from around 1400 as the Double Groat. The Groat was a widely used silver coin known as the Grosso in Italy and Groschen in Germany. In the Low Countries the Double Groat became known as the Stuiver, from German Stuber. The Stuiver was divided in 4 Oord, 8 Duit, 16 Penningen, 24 Korten or 48 Mijten, but values could fluctuate in time and place. By the 17th century only the Duit was left as a small denomination, left a few exceptions.
As was common in those days, a wide variety of silver and gold coins were minted, all with fluctuating values versus the unit of account. The most important silver coins were the Daalder of 30 Stuivers, Leeuwendaalder of 38 Stuivers, the Rijksdaalder (Rixdollar) of 50 Stuivers and Silver Rider or Ducaton of 60 Stuivers. Gold coins were minted in the form of Ducats (approx. 5 Gulden), and Gold Riders of 7 or 14 Gulden. Many of these coins were used overseas.
An intermediate value coin was the Schelling, worth 6 Stuivers. The Schelling was derived from the Flemish Pound of 20 Schelling each of 12 Groats. The Flemish Pound remained a unit of account in the Low Countries until the French period and was worth 6 Guilders. Consequently, a Flemish Pound was approximately half Pound Sterling.
Various mint reforms in the 17th century aimed to unify the coinage of the various mints in the different provinces. By the end of the 18th century the number of active mints was reduced to six, and the main denominations in circulation were the Duit, Double Stuiver, Schelling, Gulden and Rijksdaalder. After the Napoleonic era the Gulden was reintroduced in 1816, but now in a decimalised form consisting of 100 Cents. However, older coins remained in circulation until the 1850's. Many of these coins are therefore very worn.
Coins
Coins of the Dutch Republic are catalogued per mint. Some designs were used across various mints, only differenfiating in coat of arms and the legend.
Holland
Holland was the largest of the Seven Provinces. Its mint was in the city of Dordrecht, but occasionally Hollandic coins were minted in Amsterdam. Coins of Holland usually depict a rampant lion.
West-Friesland
West-Friesland is a region in the northern part of the Province of Holland and had mints in Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Medemblik. The mints took turns when minting West-Frisian coins every 6 years.
Utrecht
The Mint of Utrecht began minting coins in the 15th century and became the Royal Dutch Mint in 1816. Its Latin name is Traiectum, referring to the place where the river Vecht could be traversed.
Gelre
The Province of Gelre or Gelderland was founded as a county of the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. It started minting coins from the Dutch Republic from 1579. The mint was in Nijmegen, but it was moved to Zutphen after the Spanish conquest in 1582. From 1584 all coins in the name of Gelre were minted in Harderwijk. The coins featured a coat of arms with the 2 lions of the neighbouring German state Jülich-Berg and the motto 'In Deo Est Spes Nostra' which means 'Our hope is in God'. Gelre coins were minted throughout the existence of the Dutch Republic.
Other cities in Gelre produced coins in their own name, such as Zutphen and Arnhem, but were forced to close down their activities after a monetary reform at the end of the 17th century. Harderwijk was a coastal town which made the supply of metal a lot easier.
Zeeland
Zeeland is a coastal province south of Holland. It was always under influence of the more powerful Holland but it had its own states (parliament) and was one the seven provinces that formed the Union of Utrecht in 1579.
Zeeland started its own mint in Middelburg in 1579. The opening of the mint, which was a profitable activity, infuriated the authorities from Holland and even imprisoned the mint master. The states of Zeeland refused to give in and claimed equal rights under the Union of Utrecht. Holland, realizing it needed allies against Spain rather than a quarrel over minting rights, let the Zeelandes go along and let the mint master go in liberty.
Zeelandic coins often featured the province's coat of arms, a lion emerging from the sea, with the motto 'Luctor et Emergo' which means 'I struggle and overcome'. Zeeland was also the province to differ from the norm by minting silver Ducats and fractions of Ducats rather than Gulden coinage in the late 18th century. The Middelburg mint remained active until the French period.
Overijssel
Overijssel or Overyssel is a province that lies across the river IJssel. The Latin name of the province is Transisulania, which often features on earlier coinage of Overijssel. The mints of Overijssel alternated between Deventer, Zwolle and Kampen, with Kampen becoming the permanent mint in the 18th century. The three cities also produced coins in name of the city next to the provincial coinage.
Groningen
Groningen is a city and province in the north east of the Netherlands, and one of the Seven Provinces of the Union of Utrecht that founded the Dutch Republic. The city had minting rights from the 15th century and from 1579 provincial coinage was minted in name of Groningen and Ommelanden, which is the name of the lands surrounding the city.
Coins from Groningen were only minted sporadically, mostly during the period the mint was actually located in the city from 1672 until 1692. Later 18th century coins with the province's name were actually minted in Harderwijk, the mint of Gelre.
Friesland
Friesland or Frisia is a province in the north of the Netherlands and one of the Seven Provinces of the Dutch Republic. It was the only region that remained outside the Burgundian sphere of influence in the 15th century, and still has a local language quite distinct from standard Dutch.
The provincial mint was located in Leeuwarden. Not connected to the sea, the mint at Leeuwarden had more dufficulties to find affordable supplies of metal. This explains why Frisian coins are quite rare. Mintage ceased in 1738.
VOC coinage
The Dutch East India coinage used the Dutch Republic's silver coinage for its trade in East Asia. Many of these coins, including Spanish Dollars were frequently used by Asian merchants. Because of a shortage of small coinage the VOC decided to import Dutch Duits at an inflated rate of 1/4 Stuiver instead of 1/8th. The resulting smuggle of Dutch copper coins was halted when the VOC ordered the minting of 1/2 and 1 Duit in its own name. The main provinces minted these coins up to the end of the 19th century. VOC money was not only used in East Asia, but also in the Cape Colony in South Africa. The copper coins are frequently found in Indonesia, and are easier to find than the Dutch Republic's copper Duits.
Links to catalogue:
Dutch Republic:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/provinces-unies-1.html
Netherlands West Indies:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/netherlands-west-indies-1.html
Dutch Brazil (1630-1654):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/bresil-1.html#devise3277
Netherlands East Indies (VOC coinage 1602-1799):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/netherland_east_indies-1.html
