Double Florin

In my thirty years turning over Dutch coins, one intriguing fact stands out: some gold issues from the 1580s and 1590s were reportedly struck using bullion captured from Spanish ships during the Eighty Years' War, turning enemy spoils into symbols of rebellion. That said, the exact nature of a "Double Florin" remains murky; it might have been a variant of the gold florin or a double-weight piece minted in provinces like Holland, but records are inconsistent and often conflated with other denominations. We know these coins circulated amid the Dutch fight for independence, yet precise mintages or designs are lost to history—perhaps burned in some archival mishap. As for myths, I've heard tales of these funding mercenary armies; let's just say, not every glint of gold tells a heroic story. Still, handling one is a reminder that coins don't lie, even if we do.