Lot 774
Netherlands -- Utrecht. 2 Ducats, 1804 (Batavian Republic). Fr-315; KM-122. Knight standing. Reverse: Arabesque-bordered tablet. An excellent, lustrous example. NGC graded MS-65.
The Ducat is probably the best known and most widely employed of Europe's gold coinages. It is thought that the first example was struck by Roger II, king of Sicily, about 1150. The coin displayed the usual image of Christ, with the inscription: SIT TIBI XRE DAT Q TV REGIS ISTE DVCAT = Sit tibi Christe datus, quem tu Regis iste ducatus, = "To Thee, O Christ, is dedicated this Duchy, which Thou rulest." It is from the last word of this inscription, "DVCAT," 'duchy,' that the coin took its name.
The type proved popular, with many of Europe's states striking their own versions, Austria being the last to issue the denomination. With the coins invariably kept to 3.5 grams of .986 fine gold, they proved felicitous in trade and commerce. The denomination eventually appeared as both fractions and multiples. Some countries continued the production of trade ducats long after their own currencies had gone to the decimal standard. The Netherlands produced ducats, like that above, exclusively for use in their East Indies colonies, issuing without any alteration to type except for the date -- this series lasting from 1814 until 1938. The 2 Ducats was the largest of their trade gold coins.
Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,500.
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| Realized $3,680 |
