Netherlands, Zeeland 6 Stuivers 1672

Hoedjesschelling 1672 Zfr RR
Cross-section: 26.00 mm
weight 4.86 g | silver Ø 26 mm.
mintmaster Jacob Boreel
mintmark: fortress
engraver Abraham Goverts
made with the screw press

vz. Left-facing Dutch lion with the head frontal,
holding a spear with the freedom cap in its right paw,
surrounded by the text ITA RELINQVENDA • UT ACCEPTA
kz. Crowned provincial coat of arms with the year 16 - 72 on either side,
surrounded by the text MON.NOV.ARGEN:ORDINVM:ZELAND. ♖

When Holland introduced a new type of schelling in 1670, the shipping-schelling, Zeeland followed in 1672 with a completely own type, the so-called Hoedjesschelling. It therefore did not opt for the image of a Dutch frigate but for a lying Dutch lion that, with its right paw, raises a spear with the freedom cap atop. In addition to a difference in imagery, there was also a small difference in silver content. Thus the Dutch shipping-schelling contained 2.88 grams of fine silver and the Zeeland Hoedjesschelling 2.87 grams. In 1699 Zeeland decided to remove this difference, and from that year Zeeland Hoedjesschellings also contained 2.88 grams of fine silver. Initially, the Hoedjesschellings were struck for domestic use. In 1692 a decision of the States General to prohibit further minting of schellings was decreed. The minting of Hoedjesschellings thus came to a halt. However, from 1698 it was allowed to mint schellings for the VOC, i.e., for trade in the East. The entire production had to be delivered to the VOC chest, without withholding even a single piece. The whole production was thus shipped to VOC stations in Southeast Asia. This also explains why, despite substantial production, many Hoedjesschellings from the period 1699–1738 are still relatively rare. Many specimens were melted down, sank to the seabed, or otherwise lost. Some years are absent or scarcely represented in trade or collections and are now exceedingly rare…