Netherlands, Zeeland Dukaat 1790

NORTH NETHERLANDS – REPUBLIC (1581–1795)

Zeeland – Silver ducat 1790 – Middelburg

A splendid and historically engaging Zeelandean silver ducat from 1790, struck in Middelburg during the final years of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

This imposing silver trade coin shows the characteristic armored knight with the Zeeland provincial arms and bears on the reverse the famous motto CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT – Unity makes strength.

Coin details

* Territory: Zeeland, Republic of the United Netherlands
* Mint city: Middelburg
* Year: 1790
* Nominal value: silver ducat
* Material: silver
* Mint masters: Petronella Slob & Johan Lodewijk Molter
* Mint mark: fortress
* Master’s mark: two stars

Obverse

An armored knight, facing right, with a sash across his armor. In his right hand he holds a sword, resting on his shoulder. In his left hand he carries a ribbon. At his feet is the crowned provincial arms of Zeeland.

Inscription:

MON : NOV : ARG : PRO : CONFŒD : BELG : COM : ZEL · ♜

Full:

Moneta Nova Argentea Provinciarum Confoederatarum Belgicarum Comitatus Zelandiae.

Translation:

New silver coin of the county of Zeeland, belonging to the United Netherlands.

The final fortress mark refers to the Zeeland mint at Middelburg.

Reverse

The crowned Generality arms, with the year 1790 and above it the two stars as the mint marks.

Inscription:

CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT

Translation: “In unity small things grow.”

The motto is best known in the historical Dutch rendering:

“Unity makes strength.”

These words formed one of the most important constitutional principles of the Republic. They emphasized that the individual provinces, despite their differences, could together form a strong and influential state.

Historical background

The silver ducat belongs to the most recognizable large silver trade coins of the Dutch Republic. The type was produced from the seventeenth century onward and played a significant role in international monetary transactions.

The depiction of the armored knight was more than decorative. He symbolized the resilience, independence, and military strength of the United Netherlands. The provincial arms at his feet emphasized the origin of the coin and the identity of the issuing region.

Zeeland held a special position within the Republic. Thanks to its ports, shipping, and international trade relations, the province was closely linked to the economic development of the Low Countries. Middelburg grew into an important trading and minting center, where silver and gold coins were minted for centuries.

A ducat from the twilight years of the Republic

The year 1790 places this silver ducat in a particularly transitional period.

Europe stood on the eve of sweeping political changes. The French Revolution had broken out a year earlier, and political tensions were rising within the Dutch Republic as well.

Only five years after the striking of this coin would the old Republic come to an end in 1795, making way for the Batavian Republic.

Thus this Zeelandean silver ducat represents not only a characteristic example of eighteenth-century Dutch minting but also a tangible reminder of the last years of a form of government that had lasted for more than two centuries.

Special features

This issue is recognizable by the combination of Middelburg’s fortress mark, the two stars as the mint mark, and the year 1790.

The armored knight, the crowned arms, and the classical Latin motto give the coin its distinctive appearance.

A splendid Zeelandean silver ducat from 1790, struck in Middelburg under Petronella Slob and Johan Lodewijk Molter. An impressive historical trade coin from the late years of the Republic, in which the armored knight and the ancient motto ‘Eendracht maakt macht’ express the independence and interconnectedness of the Dutch provinces in a special way.