Catalog
1 Gulden
| Issuer | Siege of Haarlem (Dutch Republic) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1573 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered, Klippe |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 1573 |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Haarlem held out against Spanish forces for seven months in 1572–1573 before finally capitulating in July. During the siege, the city authorities produced emergency coinage — obsidional currency — struck from whatever silver could be gathered, including melted church plate and personal donations. This piece is one of the products of that desperate improvisation.
After Haarlem's fall, Alva's troops executed several hundred of the garrison in reprisal for the prolonged resistance. Coins that survived the capitulation were carried out by refugees or hidden; few remained in civic hands long enough to circulate further.