but it was not until 1606 that a serious attempt at systematisation was made. By the great plakkaat of 21st March 1606, completed by that of 6th July 1610, a new and very full tariff was imposed; an important regulation was made, declaring all coins which lacked more than 1 1⁄2 engels over and above the remedy, to be taken as bullion and not current as coin, and the indenture details of the gold coins were fixed, as it proved, throughout the life of the Republic.
The gold rijder and the gold ducat were prescribed as follows:—
GOLD RIJDER.
Weight (gross), 207.2 azen (= 9.95 grs.).
Weight (of fine gold), 187.77 azen (= 9.11 grs.).
Standard, 22 carat (= .9167).
(Equivalence = 10 fl. 2 st.).
GOLD DUCAT.
Weight (gross), 72 1⁄2 azen (= 3.494 grs.).
Weight (of fine gold), 71.43 azen (=3.432 grs.).
Standard = 23 carat 8 grs. (= .9826).
(Equivalence = 3 fl. 16 st.).
By Article 23 of this same ordinance of 1606, the further minting of billon money was forbidden, and at the same time it was enacted, with regard to the lower denominations of silver coins (schillings and smaller pieces), that not more than one-tenth of any total settlement should be tenderable in them, in case of sums exceeding 100 guldens.
The succeeding experience of the effect of these tariffs, involving, as they did, the almost total disappearance of the great silver coins, even already by the year 1638, led in 1659 to the institution of two new silver
coins—(1) the silver ducat, .868 fine, and containing 507 azen fine silver; and (2) the silver rijder, .937 fine; and containing 634.75 azen fine silver.
By the plakkaat of 25th December 1681, the states of Holland and West Friezland prescribed the minting of the gulden piece, thus at last making the gulden, so long simply an ideal money or money of account, a real coin, and laying the basis of a truer national currency system.
By subsequent proclamations and resolutions of the States-General of the 17th March 1694, and 31st December 1699, this was adopted for all the United Provinces.
The single gulden piece was to be of the standard of 10 pf. 22 1⁄2 grs., and to contain 200 azen fine silver.
This coin remained the mint coin of the Dutch system, without any further alteration of tariff, or any need of it till 1806.