Dutch Duits

[andyg]

A random question ...
If I lived a few centuries ago and had in my pocket a Duit from Gelderland - could I spend it all across the Netherlands or just in Gelderland (and if the answer is the latter was there a point at which it changed?)

btw, This is obviously before the euro 

[Figleaf]

Depends on how many centuries ago. Before the Burgundians, it would be accepted at face only in the duchy of Gelre (including the parts now in Germany), at tally in surrounding lands. During the Burgundians and Habsburgs, you would have an increasing chance of acceptance in the whole Burgundy inheritance, as they tried hard to unify the coinage. During the war of independence, it would be good for something nice only in the parts of Gelre held by the Republic and it might get you hanged in parts of Gelre held by the Habsburgs. It would be meant for local transactions, but struck on the same standard as duit coins of other provinces until the reforms of around 1672. You should be able to spend it anywhere in the Republic as the reforms of 1672 were taking hold until decimalisation, but you could probably still have spent it as a seriously lightweight "emergency" cent or as 2 centimes until well after Belgian independence.

Peter

[andyg]

Thanks Peter, the listings in Krause make much more sense when you know that.  Not something I found elsewhere on the net.  It seems these old successful currency unions are long forgotten.