1803 Netherlands Batavian Republic Gold Ducat - Guess The Grade!

[HiHoAudio]

Here's a 1803 Netherlands Batavian Republic Gold Ducat that I recently bought to fill a hole in my collection.

 

(I now have a certified ducat from 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804 and 1805.)

 

Guess the grade. Afterwards I will teach you how to grade a Dutch ducat and what to look for whether you want to learn or not...

 

 

 

[Coindude]

...whether you want to learn or not...

that was funny! Can't see the pictures now so I'll wait till I get home.

[physics-fan3.14]

I would call it VF+, based on the luster.

[James_OldeTowne]

By U.S. standards, I will guess AU-50. International graders might call it just Very Fine, though it doesn't appear to be quite choice.

 

Lovely coin, however!

[HiHoAudio]

James hit the nail on the head.....

 

 

A few tips when grading Netherlands gold ducats:

 

The knights hands, one holding the sword and the other holding a bundle of arrows, are the high points of the obverse. If the individual fingers are visible the ducat usually qualifies as Mint State.

 

Other obverse points to check are the helmet and face, plus the leg and knee armor. This particular coin shines in both these areas and is why it graded AU. Had the fingers been better defined this coin may have graded AU58 or even MS.

 

The four identical designs at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock on the reverse are subject to a both a weak strike and wear. The ones on this coin are average.

 

Because these ducats were minted from near pure (.986%) gold they are often found bent or at the least wavy. If you encounter one that is too flat or too round it is most likely a Chinese counterfeit.

 

PS - I have an 1849 Netherlands ducat that ANACS certified as MS63. This is a very rare date with only 14000 minted. Someday when time permits I'll photograph it and post the photos here for comparison.