Between 1799 and 1803, Curaçao — then under the Batavian Republic following France's reorganization of the Dutch state — faced a chronic shortage of fractional silver. Rather than wait for shipments from Europe, colonial authorities solved the problem by counterstamping Spanish colonial reales already circulating on the island. The "C" punch, applied over existing host coins, officially retariffed them at 3 Reaal or 18 Stuiver for local transactions.
Host coins vary considerably, and identifying the original issue beneath the punch is half the work with this type.
Between 1799 and 1803, Curaçao — then under the Batavian Republic following France's reorganization of the Dutch state — faced a chronic shortage of fractional silver. Rather than wait for shipments from Europe, colonial authorities solved the problem by counterstamping Spanish colonial reales already circulating on the island. The "C" punch, applied over existing host coins, officially retariffed them at 3 Reaal or 18 Stuiver for local transactions.
Host coins vary considerably, and identifying the original issue beneath the punch is half the work with this type.