Belastingdocument over de Honderdste Penning, 1713 Possibly 1715

This is a tax receipt, issued by the States of Holland and West Friesland in 1713. It acknowledges the payment of the "Honderdste Penning," or hundredth penny, essentially a one percent tax on property. Issued in Leiden, this document speaks volumes about the financial pressures and administrative structures of the Dutch Republic at the time. The need for such a tax suggests a state grappling with the costs of war, or perhaps with internal debt. The document’s very existence points to a relatively sophisticated bureaucratic apparatus capable of levying and recording such assessments. What can we learn from this humble piece of paper? The historian would want to know more about the "resolution" mentioned here, the context for the tax, and how consistently it was applied. Tax records, pamphlets, and meeting minutes from the States General may shed light on the Republic's fiscal policies. This receipt, seemingly mundane, opens a window onto the economic realities and social contracts of the early 18th century Netherlands.