Westfriesland 1661 daalder Dav-4870
This specimen was lot 229 in Schulman auction 385 (Amsterdam, July 2025), where it sold for €200 (about US$283 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"WEST-FRIESLAND Het Gewest 1581 - 1795. Leeuwendaalder, 1661, Silver Type II. Ridder achter Hollands wapen naar rechts met titel ...BEL. WES. Kz. klimmende leeuw, daarboven mmt. vijfbladige bloem ná het jaartal CONFIDENS. DNO etc. Met lijn-binnencirkels en iets groter wapenschild. RRR Deels originele muntkleur. Vrijwel prachtig. (province of Westfriesland, 1581-1795, lion daalder of 1661, type II. Obverse: a knight supports the Duthc arms; reverse: lion rampant, date above, with inner circles and a slightly larger arms. Very rare, some original luster, nearly extremely fine.)"
The leeuwendaalder and its half are famous in the numismatic world as being some of the worst struck coins in history. Most of the provinces and several of the cities struck them from the 1570's until the end of the seventeenth century. Many subtypes exist with different mintmarks: KM 14.1: 1601-30 and 1650; KM 14.2: 1616-17, 1631-49; KM 14.3 (shown here): 1649-79, 1697-1700; KM 14.4: 1682, 1687; KM 14.5: 1616, 1622-29.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.68 g, 0.750 fine silver, this specimen 26.98 g.
Catalog reference: KM-14.3, Delm. 836; V. 66.4; Dav-4870.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
- van der Wis, Jan, and Tom Passon, Catalogus van de Nederlandse Munten geslagen sind bet aantreden van Philips II tot aan het einde van de Bataafse Republiek (1555-1806), 2nd ed., Apeldoorn, Netherlands: Omni-Trading b.v., 2009.
- [1]Absil, Andrew, Olle Cederholm, Erik de Visser and Rik van Noorloos, Schulman sale 385, Amsterdam: Schulman b.v., 2025.
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