1648 Dav-4863 XF40

History

The leeuwendaalder, or lion daalder, began with the Province of Holland in 1575, in the middle of the revolt against Spain, and was conceived specifically to serve international trade rather than domestic circulation. Each of the seven free provinces of the Dutch Republic struck its own versions, and the coin became a staple of commerce in the Mediterranean and above all the Levant, where its success drew imitations from other states. Production of the type continued until 1713. American collectors know it as the Lion Dollar, a Dutch trade coin that left its mark on early colonial finance; the 1648 Utrecht piece is an ordinary production year of the long-running series rather than a special issue.

Details

The coin is a provincial issue of the Province of Utrecht, struck at the Utrecht provincial mint, not a federal product of the Dutch Republic. It was made of .750 fine silver at a standard weight of 27.68 grams, hammered rather than machine struck, so individual pieces vary noticeably in weight and shape. Reported tariffs for lion daalders of the late 1640s range from 38 to 48 stuivers. The issue is cataloged as Davenport 4863, Delmonte 845, KM 30 and CNM 2.43.65.

Features

The obverse carries the legend MO ARG PRO CON FOE BELG TRA, money of silver of the confederated provinces of Belgica, with TRA for Trajectum, Utrecht, around an armored half-length knight standing left with his head turned right, a coat of arms below and a small shield serving as the mint mark above left. The reverse reads CONFIDENS DNO NON MOVETVR, he who trusts in the Lord is not moved, around a lion rampant left with the date above. Related provincial versions of the type show the knight in a plumed helmet standing behind a lion shield within an inner circle. Because the coinage is hand struck, die differences are inherent to the series, and no formal variety listing exists for Utrecht 1648.

Notable facts

• The original Holland authorization is dated 25 August 1575, and the new daalder was tariffed at 32 stuivers, above its intrinsic value, with the difference going to the war fund.
• The design deliberately omitted any reference to Philip II, then still the nominal sovereign of the Low Countries.
• Heavily worn survivors picked up the nickname "dog dollars."
• The 1648 date coincides with the Peace of Munster, which ended the Eighty Years' War, though the Utrecht daalder design is unchanged from the years around it.
• Mint state examples are scarce, as the issue is normally encountered crudely struck and heavily circulated.