1 Ducaton - Philip IV Second bust, Brussels

Philip IV never visited the Spanish Netherlands, yet his image was struck on Brabant's coinage for the entirety of his reign — a relationship mediated entirely by successive governors-general in Brussels. The "second bust" designation marks a redesign introduced to distinguish issues after the earlier portrait type, a practical administrative distinction rather than a royal directive. Ducatons of this type circulated as the premium silver denomination of the region during decades of grinding conflict with France and the Dutch Republic, when the Brussels mint's output was as much a statement of continued Habsburg administrative function as it was currency.

The long date range across this type reflects continuous production rather than sporadic striking — the Brussels mint was one of the most active in the southern provinces throughout this period.