United Provinces of Netherlands Gold Knight Ducat coin, minted in 1770.
Obverse: Knight standing right in armour, holding sword which rests on shoulder and a bundle of arrows, splitting date (1770).
Reverse: Legend in five lines inside ornate square. Fields around decorated with floral ornaments.
Legend: MO ORDI PROVIN FOEDER BELG AD LEG IMP
Expanded: "MOneta ORDinum PROVINciarum FOEDERatorum BELGicarum AD LEGem IMPerii"
Translated: "Coin of government of the provincial federation of Belgium Conforming with the law of the Imperial."
Minted in Holland beginning in the 17th century to fuel its extraordinary tenure as the world's foremost commercial trader, the Netherlands one ducat gold coin offers both strong visual appeal and a scarcity value that could command a healthy premium in the years to come.
The first Netherlands trade ducat was issued in 1487 under Phillip the Fair and a coin very similar to the one depicted above has been minted more or less continuously from the early 1600s on. The net fine weight of 3.5 grams gold never changed to the modern era. The trade ducat is minted as a gold bullion coin even today. Only the Venetian ducat has enjoyed greater longevity.
The obverse of the famed ducat coin depicts a knight holding a bundle of arrows signifying the unity of the six northern provinces under the 1579 Union of Utrecht -- a declaration of independence from Spain. The motto Concordia Res Parvae Crescunt translates to "the union makes small things grow." The legend on the reverse translates to "money of the provinces of the United Netherlands according to the law of the empire."
Legend: CONCORDIA . RES PAR . CRES . HOL .
Expanded: "CONCORDIA RES PARvae CREScunt HOL"
Translated: "Through unity little things grow (Union is strength), Holland"
State: United Provinces
Mint Place: Dodrecht (Holland)
Denomination: Gold Knight Ducat
Reference: Delmonte 775, Friedberg 250, KM-12.3.
Weight: 3.43 gram of Pure Gold
Diameter: 22 mm