The current province of Zeeland fell for the coinage for a long time under the great territory of Holland. The legend on the Dutch coins that were issued in Dordrecht ended therefore often with COMES HOL ZEL (Count of Holland and Zeeland). On December 18, 1579, the states of Zeeland decided to set up their own mint in Middelburg. The former coin master of Holland, Jeronimus Bruynseels, was approached for the function of the ministry of Zeeland. When he accepted, delegates from Zeeland were sent to Antwerp to gather at the meeting of the General Assembly. At this meeting the delegates had to guarantee that the Zealand coins would be included in the "coin tolerance". This was to prevent that the Zeeuws coins were being declared billions of dollars. The deputies also had to obtain permission from Archduke Matthias and Prince Willem van Oranje.
The states of Holland, however, responded fiercely to the intention of the States of Zeeland to open a minting house. Prince Willem van Oranje also said in a letter "not to be very pleased with it". The states of Holland even ordered to imprison Jeronimus Bruynseels because he had dared as a Dutch citizen to conclude a contract with the states of Zeeland for the purpose of setting up a new mint. Jeronimus Bruynseels released a 6000 guarantor on condition that he would not leave the city (Dordrecht). The States of Zeeland took no pleasure in this whole process and argued that if the creation of a new currency was previously the privilege of the crown, this privilege now rests with the states of each region because of the authority of the Spanish king ( Philips II) was no longer recognized. According to Zeeland, the states of each region had the sovereign power to open a ministry if they regard this as the interests of their residents.
During this argument, Middelburg was pushed forward (on the advice of Bruynseels, as long as Jan Noirot was appointed as temporary co-master from Antwerp) (16 June 1580) to continue preparing for the minting. A temporary mint was set in a house on the Dam / Molstraat corner.
On July 22, 1580, Zeeland decided to play the game harder, the Middelburg baljuw was ordered to pick up Jeronimus Bruynseels in Dordrecht. If Holland would like to do something about it, the States of Zeeland would respond to this by holding Dutch residents who stayed in Zeeland. Bruynseels arrived in Middelburg without any problems and was sworn on August 22, 1580. On November 24, he received his first instruction to issue Philips daalders, Burgundian daalders, golden crowns, stuivers and oorden.
Thus, in 1580, the minting for Zeeland in Middelburg finally began, which again indicates how confusing the situation was during the republic's starting time. Even Willem van Oranje could not stop the creation of a new coin house. It is also remarkable that Jeronimus Bruynseels in 1586 returns as General mint master of the mint of the United Dutch States. He was succeeded by Jacob Boreel on the Zeeland mint. Jeronimus Bruynseels was sent to Enkhuizen in 1586 by the states-general together with Jacob van Sloten (family of Dutch mintmaster Johan van Sloten?). They had to interrogate the captive hagemunter Anthonis van Eembrugge about his counterfeit practices and find out who accomplices were.
The Zeeuwse mint was moved under Jeronimus Bruynseels to the Middelburg Abbey. This abbey had to be abandoned by the Norbertijner canons in 1574 after surrender of the city to the armies of Orange. The minting tools was partly from the estate of a deceased coin master from Brugge and partly manufactured in Utrecht at the expense of Bruynseels.
The first copper oorden of Zeeland were minted with the portrait of Philips II and with his title as Count of Zeeland. On the backside, the coat of arms of Austria-Burgundy is placed. The legend on a first rare issue was still the credo of Philips II (DOMINUS MIHI ADIUTOR), but this changed in the new credo that the other regions started to use, namely: PACE ET IUSTITIA (peace and justice). On 7 June 1590, the States of Zeeland decided that in the Zeeland region only copper money could be circulated in the Zeeland region itself.
In the 17th century, the text LUCTOR ET EMERGO (I struggle and come above the waves) appeared on the Zeeland's duiten en oorden. In 1754, however, there were legends with the text: LUCTOR ET EMENTOR. This means something like: I struggle and go down. It would be a misguided joke of the die cutter Martinus Holtzhey Junior. Drs. However, G. van der Meer wrote an article on some of the facts that make his involvement in this case doubtful.
The provincial minting house of Zeeland produced until 1796, the coins that were issued after this date are no more provincial coins but fall under the Batavian Republic. In 1798 the mint was finally closed.
Obv: Standing armored Knight with crowned shield at feet
Legend: MON NOV ARG PRO CONFŒD BELG COM ZEL
Rev: Crowned arms of Zeeland between the year 1774
Legend: CONCORDIA RES PARVAE; CRESCVNT
Diameter: 43mm
Mass: 28 gramm
Posted 10/28/2017 9:13 pm
to the Community, naperville-pawn!
