O-o-o-overdate

[Figleaf]

You have heard of overdates, but this one, found in a rummage tray by a Dutch collector must be the king of overdates: 1784 over 1781 over 1780 over 1779!

At this time, coin dies were prepared in advance. Die hardening had not been invented yet and dies wore out fast. To save money, it was not uncommon for a die to be overdated if it had not or scarcely been used in the year it bore. I have seen a triple overdate before, but this quadruple overdate is really spectacular.

Peter

[BC Numismatics]

Peter,
  That's a very nice West Friesland 2 Stuivers that you've got pictured there.Was that Dutch collector who found it yourself?

Aidan.

[Figleaf]

It wasn't me, it was our member Madelinus (guess what his prize piece is ).

BTW, this coin is not struck for Friesland (in the North-East of the country), but for West Friesland (in the West of the country). There is also East Frisia, now in Germany. These are, with Groningen, the central part of the ancient Frisian lands. The kingdom of Frisia slowly lost power through internal quarrels and was eaten by the counts of Holland in the West and the dukes of Brunswick in the East.

Friesland fell into poverty and outsourced its coinage. Its coins are relatively scarce. West Frisland became part of Holland and minted coins under strict Holland supervision. East Friesland remained independent for some time, was subsumed in George III's possessions at the Vienna Congress and ended up as Prussian until German unification.

Peter

[Thulium]

Very interesting coin!  The 8/7 is very clear, and I think I see more digits under the 4.

[Globetrotter]

Highly interesting, splendid find!