1 Leeuwendaalder

The leeuwendaalder was never intended for domestic Dutch commerce. It was engineered from the outset as a trade coin for the Levant and the Baltic, where its consistent silver content and recognizable type made it acceptable across markets that distrusted locally debased currencies. The Dutch East India Company consumed them by the chest-load for settlements in Asia, and the VOC frequently pressed provincial mints — West Friesland among them — to maintain output regardless of domestic monetary conditions.

West Friesland's issues under KM#14.3 span over five decades, with minor die variations cataloged by Delmonte distinguishing earlier from later production. The .750 fineness was a deliberate compromise, undercutting the thaler's silver content just enough to guarantee export profitability.