![Dutch Republic, Holland, Ducat, 1772 [ACP2-21] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ACP2-21-2.jpg)
Description
Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, Province of Holland, Gold Ducat (3.51g, 21mm), 1772, Dordrecht mint. Obverse: Dutch Knight stands facing to right, adorned in studded armour and modestly plumed helmet, wielding sword in right hand which rests on his shoulder and a bundle of seven arrows, which represents the seven united provinces of the Netherlands, in his left, date to field, legend surrounds, “CONCORDIA· RES PAR· CRES· HOL·”. Reverse: Legend central in five lines within square panel set within ornate mantle, “MO: ORD: PROVIN FOEDER BELG AD LEG· IMP.”. Friedberg-250; KM-12.3. A little soft in strike, typical of the time, good Very Fine.
The obverse Latin legend reads unabridged as “Concordia rēs parvæ crescent, Hollandiae”, with an English translation of “Small things thrive/come to be through unity, Holland”. The reverse Latin legend reads “Monēta ōrdinum prōvinciārum foederātōrum Belgicārum ad lēgem imperiī”, with an English translation of “Money of the federated provinces of Belgium in accordance with the law of the realm”.
The gold monetary denomination of the ‘Ducat’ has a long history in Europe. It was first struck by the Republic of Venice in the 13th century AD and was designed with a weight standard similar to the newly introduced Florin of the Republic of Florence and the Genovino of the Republic of Genoa, both of which weighed 3.50 grams of 98.6% fine gold. In the case of the Venetian Ducat, the intended weight was 3.545 grams of 99.47% fine gold, the highest purity medieval metallurgy could produce, and therefore contained a fine gold content of 3.5262 grams. In the early 16th Century, Ducats of the Venetian standard were recognized throughout the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Charles V, and later, by his successor Emperor Ferdinand I, were brought to Hungary. The design of the Hungarian ducat was copied by the united provinces of the newly formed Dutch Republic and were struck for several years in the late 16th Century AD before being replaced with the iconic Dutch Knight Ducat in 1586 AD. These ducats, like its predecessors of the same name, would go on to become a highly influential international gold trade coin. Due to this recognizability, it was one of the monetary denominations chosen by Philip Gidley King, the Governor of New South Wales, for the Australian Money Proclamation of 1800 – Australia’s first monetary system. In order to retain coinage within the Australian colonies, each ‘Proclamation coin’ was given a high face value – the Dutch Republic Ducat was revalued to Nine Shillings Six Pence.
