Netherlands, Zeeland Duit 1737/3

Netherlands Indies | VOC – Zeeland – Duit 1737/3 – Pieter Kappeyne – unpublished year-date modification – RRRR

Special specimen of a VOC duit from Zeeland from 1737, struck under mintmaster Pieter Kappeyne. The mint mark consists of a fortress between two six-pointed stars.

A numismatic important detail is the year-date modification 1737/3: the last digit of the original year 1733 was changed to a 7. This overstrike is not included in the standard reference works cited and thus forms a so far unpublished variant. As such, extremely rare (RRRR).

Obverse: crowned coat of arms of Zeeland.

Reverse: centrally the VOC monogram, above it ✶ ♖ ✶ and below • 1737 •. In the year, the change from 1733 to 1737 is visible.

Mint master: Pieter Kappeyne
Mint mark: fortress between two six-pointed stars
Material: copper
Weight: 2.65 g
Diameter: 22 mm

References:
Scholten – (cf. 166) | Verkade 1100 | CNO – (cf. 16.12) | KM – (cf. 152.2)

The Dutch East India Company (VOC), founded in 1602, was one of the first major international trading companies with tradable shares. The enterprise played a significant role in trade relations between the Republic and Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries. For local monetary circulation in overseas territories, large numbers of VOC coins were minted by various provincial mints, including Zeeland.

This specimen shows only minimal weaknesses in the strike and hardly any signs of circulation. In particular, the year-date modification 1737/3, not included in the mentioned reference works, makes this duit an exceptional and numismatically interesting variant within the Zeeland VOC coin series.