Hammered Silver 1600s Dutch Rijder-Schelling (VOC period)

This coin holds the second position regarding the oldest silver coin being found by means of a metal detector in South Africa.

(As past-editor for 7 years of South Africa’s Treasure Talk Magazine, I can provide all the info for those that are interested on the oldest coin being found by Wolfgang Roux in the Hex River valley near De Doorns –Worcester – Western Cape.)

You are bidding on a large silver (larger than a modern R5 coin) so called “hammered” Rijder-Schelling from Holland (circa early to mid 1600s) used in Van Riebeeck’s “Kaap de Goeie Hoop” 350 years ago.

This coin where then known as a “6-stuiver” which the Dutch and Germans used to call a “schelling” – a word that our fathers and grandfathers in later years have known as a Shilling and (believe it or not) which we call a 10 cent today. Imagine a 10c being minted in SILVER today!

An absolute treasure for South African collectors of things old, rare and wonderful!

For those who are interested: Before approx. 1660 coins were “hammered” to produce them – a metal disc placed on an anvil and being hit by a hammer to produce the coin. After that up till modern times, so-called “milled” coins were minted. The silver coin you are bidding on where produced by the former (older) method.

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