Silver Carolus gulden
1543– ・ silver ・ 16th century ・ The Habsburg Low Countries
A crowned bust of Charles V, and CAROLVS — the name of the emperor who was also king of Spain. The back has the crowned Habsburg shield and, running around it, the prayer DA MIHI, 'give me strength against thy enemies'. By the coinage proclamation of 1521 the gold Carolus gulden was brought in at twenty stuivers (some sources give the first striking as 1517), and from 1543 a silver coin of the same name joined it. This piece is that silver Carolus gulden. As the silver of central Europe and of the New World moved the centre of gravity of money from gold to silver, the gulden — whose name comes from gold — was being struck in silver. This one piece embodies the turn by which a name left its metal and stood on its own as a unit.