1 guilder, Province of Holland; first common guilder of the Dutch Republic by Provincie Holland

1 guilder, Province of Holland; first common guilder of the Dutch Republic 1682

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metal, sculpture

portrait

allegory

baroque

metal

sculpture

history-painting

Dimensions: diameter 3.3 cm, weight 10.55 gr

This is a silver 1 guilder coin, produced by the province of Holland as the first common guilder of the Dutch Republic. The coin’s cool grey surface and small size speak to its inherent value as a means of exchange. Minting such a coin involved skilled die-makers who would have carefully engraved the image in reverse onto steel punches. These were then used to strike the design onto planchets, or metal disks, to produce multiple identical coins quickly. The detailed relief of a standing female figure, likely a personification of Holland, is sharply rendered, giving a sense of legitimacy and trustworthiness. The very process of minting – essentially a form of mechanical reproduction – gives this coin its economic function within a burgeoning capitalist system. Considering this coin, it's important to remember that its value extends beyond just what it could purchase. It's a potent symbol of a society’s economic structure and technological capabilities, blurring the lines between craft, industry, and daily life.

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rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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During the Middle Ages in the Netherlands, a ‘stiver’ was first a large piece of silver. After the introduction of the decimal numeral system in the 19th century, its value became 5 cents; later, the coin was struck in copper. Originally made of gold, the guilder was derived from the florin, a coin from Florence, Italy, but was later made of silver, and became the Dutch standard coin. The ‘daalder’, thaler, or dollar, owes its name to Joachimsthal, where it was first minted. This coin became a standard currency for international trade and spawned worldwide successors such as the dollar.