for
Guide to Seventeenth Century Dutch Coins, Weights and Measures
Piece of Eight – The Spanish dollar or “piece of eight” became an international currency in the 16th century as the volume of international trade exploded.
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Image courtesy of
The British Museum.
The Rijksdaalder (Dutch, “national dollar”), known in the colonies as the “rix dollar,” was first issued by the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in the late 16th century
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during the Dutch Revolt. The side shown features an armored half-bust of William the Silent, hero of the revolution. Image courtesy of the
Australian Numismatist Society Library.
17th century Dutch schelling independence from Philip II. of Spain. Image courtesy of
Australian Numismatist Society Library.
The Spanish dollar or “piece of eight” became an international currency in the 16th century as the volume of international trade exploded. Image courtesy of
The British Museum.
The British Museum.
17th century Dutch schelling.
Numerous coins, weights, and measures are mentioned in the Dutch records, many of them undoubtedly unfamiliar to either the general reader or the historian. A list of such terms and their values was prepared by A. J. F. van Laer and included as an appendix to The Van Rensselaer Manor Bowier Manuscripts published 1909. However, in the thirty years following publication of that work, Mr. van Laer uncovered much additional information which he noted in his copy of the book. The following charts incorporate material selected both from the original list and from the annotations. It should be noted that there were no universal standards in the seventeenth century, as is evident from several of the following terms for which Mr. van Laer cites numerous variations in value.
Coins
| Coin | Value Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Penning | 1/16 stuiver |
| Denier | 1/12 stuiver |
| Oortje / Oortie | 2 duiten, 1/4 stuiver |
| Duit | 1/8 stuiver |
| Groot | 1/2 stuiver |
| Stuiver / Stuyver / Stiver | 1/20 guilder |
| Brabantse stuiver | 24 pennings |
| Stooter | 5 groots |
| Real | 1/8 piece‑of‑eight; 6 stuivers; 1 schelling |
| Schelling | 6 stuivers or 12 groots or 1 real |
| Pond Hollands | 15 stuivers |
| Guilder / Florin | 20 stuivers or 40 groots |
| Carolus Guilder | 1½ guilders |
| Daelder | 1½ guilders |
| Rijksdaelder / Rixdollar | 2½ guilders |
| Piece‑of‑Eight | 2.4 guilders or 48 stuivers or 8 reals or 8 schellings |
| Pond Vlaamsch, pond groot, "Flemish pound" | 6 guilders or 20 schellings; 1 York pound |
| Ducaton | 3 guilders plus 3 stuivers |
Weights
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam ons - (Pond (Pound) | 1.085 ounces avoirdupois - (1 pond = 494.09 grams) |
| Amsterdam pond - (Ons (Ounce) | 1 pound, 1.36 ounces avoirdupois - (1 ons = 1/16 pond = 30.88 grams) |
| Last | 4000 pounds |
Linear Measures
| Original Term (English translation) | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Rhinelandse duim - (Rhineland inch) | 1.03 inches or 0.026 meters |
| Amsterdamse duim - (Amsterdam inch) | 1.013 inches |
| Rhinelandse voet - (Rhineland foot) | 12 duimen, 12.36 inches, or 0.3139 meters |
| Amsterdamse voet - (Amsterdam foot) | 11 duimen or 11.143 inches |
| ell - (ell) | 27 inches |
| vadem - (fathom) | 6 feet |
| Rhinelandse roede - (Rhineland rod) | 12 voeten, 12.36 feet, or 3.7674 meters |
| Amsterdamse roede - (Amsterdam rod) | 13 voeten, 12.071 feet, or 3.6807 meters |
| uurgaans, zeemijl - (hour's walk, nautical mile) | 1/20 degree; 3 nautical miles; 18,261 feet; 1,500 Rhineland rods; 5555 meters Van Laer quotes one source which gives the Holland mile as 5.556 kilometers and the uurgaans as 5.651 kilometers. He also mentions an old Dutch mile of 5358 meters. |
| geographische mijl - (geographic mile) | 1/15 degree; 4 nautical miles; 4.611 Statute miles; 24,348 feet Van Laer cites from various sources figures in meters of 7420, 7407.41, and "about 7407." |
Square Measures
| Original Term (English translation) | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Rhinelandse morgen - (Rhineland morgen) | 600 square roeden; 2.103 acres |
| Amsterdamse morgen - (Amsterdam morgen) | 600 square roeden; 2.069 acres |
| schepel - (schepel) | The land that can be sown with a schepel of rye. |
| mudde - (mudde) | In the western part of Drenthe the word mudde is used as a square measure of land, equaling 212 and 1/4 square roeden; elsewhere, 160 square roeden. |
Liquid Measures
| Original Term (English translation) | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| kan - (quart) | quart |
| pot - (quart) | quart |
| mengel, - mingel | 1.266 quarts oil or wine; 1.304 quarts brandy; 1.28 quarts beer; 1.915 quarts milk |
| stoop | 2 mengelen or 2.532 quarts wine; 1 and 13/19 mengelen or 2.15 quarts beer |
| viertel | 6 mengelen or 1.956 gallons brandy |
| steekkan | 16 mengelen or 5.064 gallons oil or wine; 15 mengelen or 4.89 gallons brandy; 16 mengelen or 5.12 gallons beer |
| anker | 32 mengelen or 10.128 gallons wine; 32 kan brandy |
| aam/aem | 120 mengelen or 37.98 gallons oil; 4 ankers, 128 mengelen, or 40.512 gallons wine |
| okshoofd - ("hogshead") | 6 ankers, 192 mengelen, or 60.768 gallons wine |
| varken - ("firkin") | ca. 1/4 vat |
| pijp - ("pipe") | 1/2 vat or 2 okshoofden |
| vat - ("barrel") | 717 mengelen or 226.93 gallons oil; 4 okshoofden, 728 mengelen, or 243.072 gallons wine; 16 mengelen or 7.66 gallons milk |
| smalton | 31.096 gallons wine |
| ton - ("tun" or "barrel") | 41.54 gallons beer |
| kwarteel | 12 smaltonnen or 62.192 gallons wine |
Dry Measures
| Original Term (English translation) | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| mutsje | 1/4 liter |
| schepel | 0.764 bushel wheat; 1.29 bushels salt |
| zak | 3 schepels or 2.292 bushels wheat |
| mudde, - mud | 4 schepels or 3.056 bushels wheat |
| vat | 4 schepels or 5.16 bushels salt |
| last | 36 zakken, 27 mudden, or 82.512 bushels wheat; 108 schepels |
| last of salt | 28 heaped up wheelbarrows' full |
| ship's last | 3.72 cubic yards, 100.17 cubic feet, or 2½ tons burden |
| smalton | 1/12 last or 6.876 bushels wheat |
| honderd | 704.32 bushels salt |
| hoed, - hoet | 33.25 bushels coal |
| spint | 1/4 schepel |
| vim, - vinne | 104 to 108 sheaves |
