6 Stuivers 'Roosschelling'

The roosschelling took its name from the rose that distinguished it from other schelling-denominated coins circulating simultaneously in the fragmented monetary environment of the early Dutch Republic. Holland's provincial mint struck these heavily during the opening years of the seventeenth century, partly to assert fiscal independence during the ongoing revolt against Habsburg authority — coin production was a practical statement of self-governance as much as an economic necessity.

The .583 fineness was a deliberate compromise, keeping the coin competitive against debased foreign silver flooding Dutch markets while remaining acceptable for tax payments and VOC provisioning, the Company having received its charter just one year after this piece was struck.