Zutphense duit 1604 - 1605

This copper duit was struck in Zutphen in 1618. Its imagery would have been very familiar to people living in the Netherlands at that time. One side shows a lion rampant, a symbol that had been associated with the region since the Middle Ages, encircled by the words "Moneta Nova Civitatis Zutphaniensis"—"new coin of the city of Zutphen." The other side bears the city's name within a laurel wreath. As a form of currency, this coin facilitated trade and economic exchange, reflecting the growing commercial importance of Dutch cities in the 17th century. But more than that, it was a symbol of civic pride and autonomy, part of a long history of Dutch cities asserting their rights and privileges. Historians use coins like this as valuable sources of information, combining numismatic expertise with archival research to illuminate the social, political, and economic dynamics of the past. By studying such objects, we gain insight into the values and priorities of the societies that produced them.