How Far Back Can We Go? Seventh Edition! Ended At 1380 Waiting On 1379

1581

Two years after the United Provinces grouped themselves against Spain via the Union of Utrecht (1579), Philippe II was stil recognized as their king. This came to an end by the Acte van Verlatinghe aka Plakkaat van Verlatinghe the official document signed 26 juli 1581 by the States General of the Netherlands in the Haghue. The bottom and top line of this document was that Philippe II was declared to be no longer the king of the seventeen provinces of the Netherlands. This document bears some similarities in purpose and content to the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America (two centuries later) and may be the most important piece in the national archives of The Netherlands

https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/bel...latinge-1581
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Abjuration

The jeton below depicts Philippe II as a tyrant who needed to be abandoned as sovereign, the images being very direct and harsh.



Dugniolle 2827 Dordrecht 'Plakkaat van Verlatinghe' (Abjuration of Philips II)
OBV: Man (Spain) forces a dog (Netherlands) to eat its own vomit POTIVS MORI QVAM VT CANIS AD VOMITVM 1581
REV: Same man hit by an arrow of God PERDE QVI CONTRISTANT ANIMA MEAM

In the mean time, Alexander Farnese was extending the lands that remained loyal to the king, first by signing the Union of Arras, next by capturing city after city from the rebels. In 151 he took the city of Doornik (Tournai).



Dugniolle 2840 Bruges 'Alexander Farnese captures Tournai after a siege'
OBV: Helmed lion with a sword & shield on which is written XP
legend: INGENIO & FORTITVDINE
REV: Spearsman fights lion behind palm tree; under tree in box: 1581 legend: VALET IRRITATVS

For today, I'd like to move us a bit north. This Half Öre was minted in Sweden in 1580 AD. It is only about 20% silver, so it is a bit dark.

Beautiful Franc

Clever choice of arms.

@1c5d7n5m, your collection of jetons is truly impressive. Do you know how these jetons were used? I understand they had a propaganda purpose, so how did that work? Did people buy them to support the cause, and then displayed them (under the right circumstances)? Did they have other uses (since some of them show signs of wear)?

France 1579, 1 denier tournois, Henry III, Paris (A).

1579

Here is a statendaalder (ecu des etats) from 1579 mint of Doornik (Tournai) - it would be the last year they were issued during a 3-year period. Not easy to collect these coins, as they are rare. Apart from entire daalders, also halfs and quarters were minted, the halfs - especially from Brabant and Flanders - are more easy to find.
Although the entire 17 provinces revolted after the fury of Antwerp (1576), the king of Spain is still acknowledged on the obverse. Tzdiemia mentioned the scepter that the king carries. The legend of the Pacification of Ghent is present (PACE ET IVSTITIA).



This is also the year of the Union of Utrecht, an imporant treaty that marks the beginning of the United Provinces and the founding of a country that would later be called The Netherlands.

The provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland minted half Uniedaalders, below one example from Utrecht (Delmonte 137). The legend CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRES.... (Eendracht maakt Macht, L'Union fait la Force and the symbol of a bundle of arrows that is very resistant to breaking or bending would be used many times again in the Dutch Republic.



Yesterday I mentioned the peace talks in Cologne, which started already in 1579. By remembering the beheading of the popular counts of Egmont and Horne in 1568 by Alva the Dutch rebels warned against the intentions of Spain. Therefore, this piece is much harsher than the playful mouse jeton.



Dugniolle 2778 variant Dordrecht 'Incentive to continue the war//remember Egmont and Horne'
OBV: Spanish (left) and Dutch (right) soldiers in combat PRAESTAT PVGNARE PRO PA T RIA
REV: Execution of the counts of Egmont and Horne QVAM SIMVLATA PACE DECIPI 1579

Here a jeton from Utrecht that was discussed in the thread Images that inspired the mint master . The image of a pelican feeding its young with its own blood was derived from an old embleme book. The idea may have been to show that the North did everything possible to respect religious freedom.



Dugniolle 2775 Utrecht 'Katholics & non-Katholics'
Vz. Pelican on nest QVOD IN TE EST PROME 1579
Kz. compass (passer - to draw a circle) locked with sword and scepter DIFFICILE RVMPITVR O - T (Ordines Trajecti)



Embleme book of Junius Hadrianus, 1565

This was also the year that Alexander Farnese started with the Army of Flanders to capture rebelling cities, one after the other, in Brabant, Ghelders, Hainaut and Tournay. The strategically important city of Maastricht on the Meuse river was the first target. The army of Farnese moved swiftly from the Mechelen area (battle of Rijmenam, which they lost) to Maastricht outmaneuvering the armies of the States (the rebels). After siege and much bloodshed, the city of Maastricht surrendered. Below three siege coins (in copper) with face values of 16, 24 and 40 stuivers. These were used to pay the garrisson that defended the city.

A wonderful group, 1c5d7n5m!

So many pretty coins! (And jetons...)
And that 1579 denier looks like it belongs in Louis XIII's reign, it's so well made.

I can't think of anything I had photographed that was dated in the 1599-1580 range, but as we're coming into the 1570s and 1560s I'll probably have a lot more entries and I should probably check up on my options to avoid missing anything interesting.

1578

The Spanish Netherlands, especially the province of Brabant, experienced chaotic years following the shock on society inflicted by the fury of Antwerp (1576). Leadership was a problem. Furthermore, the tercio's (veteran soldiers of the Spanish army) often were behind payment of wages for months, in some cases because the money (silver pieces from Spain) did not arrive in time via the secret roads of money transport. The result could be muting bands of tercio's who started to plunder the country. To make things worse, archduke Don Juan of Austria, who represented the king in the Spanish Netherlands, had died from the plague in February. The local nobility called for Archduke Matthias (third son of emperor Maximillian, who himself would become emperor in 1612) to replace Don Juan as governor-general. However, Philippe II did not approve of this change of power, and handed military leadership to Alexander Farnese (who was mentioned often the last 10 days). As written before, William Orange was too much inclined to protestantism to be leader in the 17 provinces.

In the mean time, the last remains of the Spanish army were swept out of the Northern Provinces - to come back never again. One of the last vestiges of Spanish troops was the city of Amsterdam, which was under siege by the rebels. Power in the province of Holland was given to Wiliam of Orange who obtained the title of Stadhouder.
The silver piece below is a 40 stuiver (2 guilders), stamped on one side with the date & face value, the coat of arms of the city and the stamp of the mintmaster (PC). This more primitive form of money was made from silver confiscated from the citizens who had to turn in their table silver (knives, spoons, forks etc).



The first jeton of today memorizes the installation of Wiliam of Orange as stadholder. It is full of propaganda as was usual in this period.



Dugniolle 2743a province of Holland, Dordrecht 'Wiliam of Orange given the title of Stadhouder of Holland'
OBV fight between Goliath (Spain) & David (Netherlands) TV SOLVS DEVS ET MAGNA FACIS
REV lion kills boar FIDE DNO ET IPSE EFFICIET 1578

The jeton below is from the Spanish Netherlands and refers to the hope for better time with the arrival of Matthias.




1578 Dugn.2737 vL.I.p243.1 Brugge 'Arrival of Archduke Matthias of Austria in the Spanish Netherlands'
OBV: comet avobe Flanders countryside. NVMINIS ASTRVM OFFENSI
REV: sunlit Archduke Matthias in chariot SPES FERT MATHIAS (Matthias brings hope) 1578

interestingly, the comet (often used as an omen of hard times) refers to the famous Great Comet of 1577 which was prominent over whole Europe and which led to scietific progress (Brahe, ad-Din, see weblink below)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1577

the last piece of today is from Antwerp, which was anti-Spanish and calvinistic as reaction to the terrible plunder of two years ago



Dugniolle 2771 Antwerp
OBV Coat of arms of Antwerp (fortified town) with two hands, which is unusual
REV Shepherd with staff in front of a burning altar ANIMVS MVNERE POTIOR / 1578

the reverse can be interpreted in what citizens of Antwerp regarded the preferred state of mind: opposition against the obligate catholicism imposed by the Spanish ruler.