Ducaton of the Spanish Netherlands, excavated from the wreck site of the ZUYTDORP
Date1623-1636
Object number00048973
NameCoin
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 44 mm, 28.7 g
ClassificationsCoins and medals
Credit LineANMM Collection Transferred from Australian Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks
HistoryThe ducaton coin originated in sixteenth century Italy. This silver coin was used between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries as a trade coin to rival the Spanish silver dollar or eight reales. Its use spread throughout the Spanish Empire, including areas in Burgundy and the Netherlands.
From 1656 Dutch ducaton coins carried the design of a silver rider on the reverse. Later coins added a shield below the rider to indicate the province of minting. Between 1721 and 1756, silver rider ducatons bore the monogram of the Dutch East India Company.
SignificanceAssociated with the oldest Dutch shipwreck discovered on the Australian coast this silver coin is representative of European presence near the Australian continent in the 17th century.
