VOC Copper Doit | 1790 | Dutch East India Company | Utrecht

This original copper VOC duit from 1790 is a magnificent piece of maritime and commercial history from the era of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The obverse shows the iconic, intertwined VOC monogram, flanked by two small stars and the year 1790 below. These coins were minted for use in the VOC's overseas territories and served as an indispensable means of payment within the Company's global trade network for centuries.

The VOC (1602–1799) is considered the world's first multinational corporation and was one of the most powerful trading organizations for a long time. It dominated the spice trade and maintained trade routes between Europe and Asia. To support the economy in its colonies, the VOC minted its own coins, including these copper duiten, which circulated primarily in the Dutch East Indies (mainly Java).

Duiten like this are a tangible reminder of the VOC's trading voyages, ships, forts, and trading posts. Each coin bears the traces of a glorious period in which the VOC had an unprecedented influence on world trade.

• Issuer: Dutch East India Company (VOC)

• Material: Copper

• Denomination: Duit

• Date: 1790

• Obverse: VOC monogram, star,  year

• Reverse: Provincial coat of arms: Utrecht

• Diameter: approx. 21–22 mm (standard for VOC duiten)

• Condition: Visibly used, shows signs of wear

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