1726–1794 Dutch Copper Duit VOC

Here’s The First New York Penny!

The Dutch East India Company, known in Dutch as Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compoagnie, or by its initials, VOC, was the world’s first publicly traded company and the first multi-national corporation. It grew to such an unfathomable size, that it minted its own coins to make trade more efficient. Here you have a Duit, struck in copper, issued by the Dutch East India Company, and brought to New Amsterdam (later known as New York City)—which is why it is known as the First New York Penny! These copper Duits were minted by the company from 1726 to 1794 and were widely used in the New World.

Henry Hudson And The Purchase Of Manhattan Island

The Dutch East India Company’s foothold in the New World came thanks to the efforts of English explorer Henry Hudson, who gained fame for mapping the northeast coast of North America, leaving a wake of rivers and towns named in his honor. Hired by the company to look for a new passage to spice-rich Asia by way of the Arctic Ocean in 1609, Hudson discovered New York harbor. Following an extensive survey of the territory from 1611 to 1614 the company selected Manhattan Island as the site for a permanent settlement and the land was purchased from the Manhattan Indians for the sum of $24 or the equivalent of 960 Duits. Sadly, Hudson never saw the fruits of his labor: He disappeared along with his son and seven companions after being set adrift in a ship’s boat during a mutiny on James Bay in 1611.

A Government-Sanctioned Global Company

Founded by the Dutch Republic (present-day Netherlands) to protect the nation’s trading monopoly in the Indian Ocean and to assist in the Dutch war of independence from Spain, the Dutch East India Company began trading in spices in 1602. By the 1700s, with its sovereign-sanctioned powers, the Company was exporting good and spices from a dozen Asian countries, held territories, employed 36,000 people, built 1,500 ships, maintained a small army and navy, and minted currency.

Act Now, Or Miss Out!

These copper Duits were struck at provincial mints in The Netherlands. The coins display the company’s distinctive “VOC” monogram and the Coats of Arms of Holland, West Friesland, Zeeland, and Utrecht and were minted for circulation in the Dutch East Indies, India, Ceylon, Malacca, and the New World. In their day, these historic coins traveled around the globe in the holds of tall ships and are still discovered today in former Dutch colonies and at Dutch East India Company shipwreck sites. At least 229 years old, your coin will come housed in a mini album with a storycard and Certificate of Authenticity. Act now or miss out! Dates will vary.