The rijksdaalder (Dutch pronunciation: [rɛiksˈdaːldər] ; "Imperial dollar") was a Dutch coin first issued by the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in the late 16th century during the Dutch Revolt which featured an armored half bust of William the Silent. It was the Dutch counterpart of the Reichsthaler of the Holy Roman Empire (weighing 29.232 grams of 0.889 fine silver) but weighed slightly less, at 29.03 g (448 grains) of 0.885 fine silver, reduced to 0.875 fine by the 17th century.[1][2] Friesland, Gelderland, Holland, Kampen, Overijssel, Utrecht, West Friesland, Zeeland, and Zwolle minted armored half bust rijksdaalders until the end of the 17th century.
17th century rijksdaalder was set to be equal to from 48 to 50 stuivers (the Dutch equivalent of shillings) and circulated along with silver florins (28 stuivers), daalders (30 stuivers), leeuwendaalders (36 to 42 stuivers; 27.68 g, 0.743 fine), silver ducats (48 stuivers; 28.06 g, 0.868 fine), and ducatons (60 stuivers; 32.46 g, 0.938 fine)[1][3] silver ducats and rijksdaalders were almost of the same size and quality. With the disappearance of the original armored half bust rijksdaalder design, silver ducats and later 2+1⁄2 guilders started to be called rijksdaalders.
Unification of the Dutch monetary system in the beginning of the 18th century introduced guilder and set rijksdaalders and silver ducats at 2+1⁄2 guilders. Following decimalization (in 1816), 2+1⁄2-guilder coins were no longer produced because a 3-guilder coin was thought to better fit in the series of denominations. This turned out to be a mistake (due to the high silver price) and from 1840 onward 2+1⁄2-guilder coins were produced again. Production stopped in 2002 due to the introduction of the euro. 2+1⁄2-guilder coins continued to be called by their nicknames rijksdaalder, riks, and knaak until the introduction of the euro.
The Royal Dutch Mint still mints a silver ducat "rijksdaalder" to this day.[4]
- ^ a b Shaw, William Arthur (1896). The History of Currency, 1252-1894: Being an Account of the Gold and Silver Moneys and Monetary Standards of Europe and America, Together with an Examination of the Effects of Currency and Exchange Phenomena on Commercial and National Progress and Well-being. Putnam.
- ^ "Rix Dollar - Introduction". coins.nd.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ "Lion Dollar - Introduction". coins.nd.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ "Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt - Officieel producent van de Nederlandse munten". www.knm.nl. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2019-03-21.