VOC COIN 1790

[Guest MADFLAVA]

is this coin worth anything? i found it on holiday while in Sri Lanka...

[Chris Perkins 228]

It's Dutch Indies colonial I believe, probably it was once currency in Sri Lanka. Most are quite common, but I'm afraid I don't have a book to cover that period.

From the grade I wouldn't think it was worth too much at all.

[Geordie582 18]

A focussed camera may improve the grade

[Chris Perkins 228]

Picture wise I've seen a lot worse! Some of the emails I get, you wouldn't know they were pictures of coins unless you ran a coin website!

[kuhli 0]

Your coin is indeed from the Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia.) It is a 1 duit coin (8 duits=1 stuiver, 20 stuiver=1 gulden). These were issued throughout the 1700's and early 1800's by several of the provincial mints of the Netherlands. Your particular coin bears the arms of the Utrecht province, which is the most common of the types known. Although dated 1790, it was actually struck between 1827-1843. Being the most common, and also one of the highest mintages, it's value is minimal, perhaps £1-2 at best. Definitely a nice piece, all the same.

I assume that it is a star above the VOC?