1/2 Ducaton - Philip IV Second Type

The Brabant ducaton series under Philip IV was introduced in the 1630s partly to satisfy demand from Spanish-controlled trade networks in the Southern Netherlands, where full ducatons were too large for routine mercantile exchange. The "Second Type" designation marks a die modification made during the long production run — over three decades across multiple Antwerp mint administrations — and pieces from the later years of the issue reflect the administrative disruption caused by the Franco-Spanish War and the treaties that followed.

The .944 fineness held unusually strict throughout the run, enforced by Antwerp assayers under Spanish Crown oversight.