Golden Ducats

About Golden Ducats

From 4 August 1586 onwards Golden Ducats are registered in the Dutch Mint Act as trade coins. The Golden Ducat finds its origin in the Republic of Venice and was later also minted in the Netherlands. The Golden Ducat has always been strong currency; for centuries these coins were important tender in international trade. Their reputation was strong because of their dependable content and weight. In Scandinavia, Poland and Russia the coin was gladly accepted and also in Asia the coin was often used in trade. The Dutch Golden Ducat therefore became one of the most important trade coins in the world. The Royal Dutch Mint annually mints Golden Ducats on behalf of the Ministry of Finance to remember their rich trade history.
Take a look at our video to learn more about the history of the Golden Ducat as a trade coin (the text continues under the video):

Privateers and pirates

The Golden Ducat was not only subjected to imitations and counterfeiting, privateers and pirates were also after the coins that were found in great numbers on the ships of the East India Trading Company. Golden Ducats were used to pay for the goods and spices that were traded in Asia: Europe showed great interest in Asian goods but the other way around this certainly was not the case. Treasure chests filled with coins were found on the ships to finance the traded goods.
Although the words ‘privateer’ and ‘pirate’ may not sound so different today, in the Golden Age these were very different professions. Other than piracy, privateering was legal. A sovereign or delegated authority issued commissions (a permission slip) to the privateers, who in return shared (a part of) their profit. Pirates lacked permission and, other than privateers, therefore also attacked ships from their own country. Money was more important than where it came from. One could even argue that any silver or gold coin could have been in the hands of a pirate at some stage during the Golden Age!