Dutch Money in the 18th Century

1. A caroli guilder — caroli cames from the spanish king Karel (Charles) V, the last one who owned our Dutch country before the liberation war between 1568-1648 against the Catholic Spanish occupier during the so called "Reformation" — means 20 stivers.

2. A stiver means 16 "penningen" or also called "duiten" or doits.

3. So 1 caroli guilder means 320 "penningen" or doits.

4. the "florijn" guilder, or also descriobed as the "gold guilder", not so usual, means 28 stivers.

5. A "daalder" means 30 stivers.

6. A "dubbeltje" means 2 stivers.

7. A "schelling" means 6 stivers.

In this way 15 - 4 - 3 means 15 caroli guldens/guilders, 4 /stuivers/stivers and 3 penningen/duiten/doits or 5143 penningen/duiten/doits (if I counted it right). A.G.

8. About 1747 there were big rumors in our country about the unfare field and property taxes by the richest part of our country. As a result of the rebellion of the poorest people a new kind of tax was ordered, the so called "Quotatition taxes of 1749" (or on Dutch "Quotisatie van 1749"). By this new arrangement the property of each Dutch citizen had to be appraised again: as examples, I found the next Heeringa accounts in the Frisian Archives:

a. the "bijsitter" (assistant of a judge) C. G. (must be Gosses, I think) Heringa in Westdongeradeel. Profession: (wealthy?) farmer. Family: 6 adults and no (under-aged) children. Had to pay: 148 (caroli guilders) - 15 (stivers) - 6 (doits). (A huge amount in those days!!)

b. Gosse Heringa, from Westdongedaal. Discription: rather wealthy. Family: 3 adults and 3 children. Tax: 20 - 6 - 0.

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