Lot 3738

Description

Netherlands, Leyden, silver twenty stuiver, 1574 (36mm) obverse, crowned lion with Liberty cap on pole, legend 'Hace Libertatis Ergo', counterstamped above lion with initials 'I.C', reverse, arms with crossed keys, le 'Godt Behoede Leyden' (cf.Del 169). Fine for issue.

The siege of the city of Leyden (Leiden) in the Netherlands resulted in the depletion of the supply of silver for coins and thus emergency coinage was instigated. This siege money was issued initially on clipped diamond shaped planchets using the die of the 1574 coin as offered above but when silver was exhausted paper was used in the form of cardboard with exactly the same design as the 1574 twenty stuiver. See Noble Numismatics Sale 87 lot 2960 for an emergency paper issue of this design.