Golden Ducat 2023

The Royal Dutch Mint issues annual Golden Ducats. This special proof-quality gold coin is minted in 98,3% pure gold, weighs 3,494 grams and has a diameter of 21 mm. The Golden Ducats 2023 are available for pre-order only from May 1 to May 31, 2023 and will be guaranteed to sell out after that. In June, the circulation will be determined based on the number of Golden Ducats sold. In September, the coins will be minted and delivered by the Royal Dutch Mint. 
 
In addition to the single Golden Ducat, a double Golden Ducat has also been issued for years. The double variant has almost the same design as the single Ducat, only a double line of dots has been added to the obverse of the Golden Ducat. 
 

History of the Golden Ducats

Since Aug. 4 1586, the Golden Ducats have been in the Dutch Mint Act in the capacity of a trade coin. The Golden Ducat is originated in the Republic of Venice and was later minted in the Netherlands. The Golden Ducat has always been a strong currency; for centuries these coins were important means in payment in international trade. They has a good reputation for their reliable weight and content. 
 
They were readily accepted in Scandinavia, Poland and Russia, and the Golden Ducat was also frequently used in trade with Asia. As a result, the Dutch Golden Ducat grew to become one of the most important trade coins in the world. The Royal Dutch Mint annually mints Double and Single Golden Ducats by order of the Dutch Ministry of Finance to keep the memory of the Netherlands’ rich trading past alive. 

Design of the Golden Ducat 2023

The obverse of the Golden Ducat 2023 depicts a knight after the design of Johan Willem Marmé. This knight with distinctive buttons has a sword and bundle of arrow in his hands. Along the border is the motto: “Concordia Res Parvae Crescunt”. This is Latin for “Unity makes small things great. The year of issue 2023 is also clearly shown in two parts. The front is finished with a border of dots. 
 
The reverse of the Golden Ducat 2023 always features a Latin text in the center: “Mo. Aur. Reg. Belgii Ad Legem Imperii.”, translated: Gold coin of the Kingdom of the Netherlands according to the law of Empire. Around this text are beautiful (leaf) decorations with an acanthus motif and shells. On the right side of the coin is an image of cinnamon sticks added. The cinnamon sticks refer to the successful cinnamon trade of the VOC. 

The story behind the design of the Golden Ducats

The Golden Ducat has remained unchanged for nearly 400 years, with the exception of minor changes in details. For example, minor changes have been made to the knight’s equipment over time, and the decorations on the reverse have also been subject to some ‘fashion’ over the centuries. 
 
The obverse of the coin has featured a knight since the inception of the Golden Ducats. Since 2018, the knight has been depicted after a design by Johan Willem Marmé. Marmé was stamp cutter of the provincial and city mint of Utrecht from 1763 to 1795. In Marmé’s time, all mints stamps were made by hand; it was therefore important that all stamps looked exactly the same so that all coins of one kind remained the same. The detailed description of the stamp was not only a way to reproduce the stamp when it needed replacement, but also meant to be able to check Golden Ducats for authenticity.
 
In 2022, the Royal Dutch Mint started a new series “The Dutch Trade History” within the Golden Ducats series. From 2022 to 2025, a different trade good will be shown on the reverse of the coin each year. This year that is a bundle of cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon was one of the spices the VOC had set its sights on, because the production of cinnamon took place in only one area and cinnamon was also very popular in different countries. After driving the Portuguese out of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the VOC controlled the cinnamon trade for many years.