Zeeland, at the mouth of the Scheldt in the south-west Netherlands, was a province of seafarers and merchants, and a major partner in the Dutch East India Company. Its ‘ship shillings’ with a sailing ship were used at home and in the Dutch colonies. The lion half-submerged in waves shows the province’s long struggle against the sea.
Castings, Coins, KM
KM-970-Gold-SS Zeeland Ship Shilling 6 Stuivers in Silver Bezel
$20.00
Gold overlay casting pendant. Obverse: a three-masted sailing ship with the legend VIGILATE DEO CONFIDENTES (‘Be watchful, trusting in God’). Reverse: the crowned arms of Zeeland, a lion rising from the waves, between 6 and ST, with the legend MO NO ARGENT ORDIN ZELANDIAE and a date. This version is a gold overlay casting set in a hand-formed sterling silver bezel. Inscriptions explained: VIGILATE DEO CONFIDENTES is Latin for ‘Be watchful, trusting in God’. MO NO ARGENT ORDIN ZELANDIAE is short for ‘Moneta Nova Argentea Ordinum Zelandiae’, ‘New silver coin of the States of Zeeland’. 6 ST means 6 stuivers.
