16th-17th Century Dutch Lion Silver Daalder

Product Description

We've come across a small cache of these fascinating coins from before America was even a twinkle in our Founding Fathers' eyes! Featuring an armored knight and a rampant lion on its reverse, Dutch Lion daalders circulated in the earliest days of New Amsterdam, perhaps serendipitously on what we know today as the island of Manhattan — and more specifically, the area of Wall Street of New York City's financial district. First struck in Holland in the late 1500s, the 75% silver daalder became the ideal coin for use in trade and circulated extensively throughout the world. Our word for dollar is derived from the daalder; its economic importance evident by surviving financial documents from the Colonies referencing payments in "lion or dog dollars" (as worn daalders resembled man's canine companion). In the early 18th century, the greater silver content of the new Spanish eight reales sounded the death knell for the lion dollar. Circulated quality. Our choice of date based on availability.