1644 Batavia 1/2 Stuiver and other coins of the Dutch East India Company

The Meat man · Sep 12, 2026 at 4:49 PM

Hello everyone! I hope your day/weekend has been going well.

I'm delighted to have recently acquired this scarce, high-priority coin for my collection: a Dutch East India Company 1644 copper 1/2 stuiver, which was minted locally in Batavia for a very short period of time in 1644. For a collector of coins of the age of discovery, exploration, and colonialization, this coin is particularly interesting and significant. They are relatively scarce and can be tough to find in any decent condition. Mine has a somewhat rough obverse, but the pleasing reverse makes up for that, in my opinion.

DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1602-1799
AE ½ Stuiver (29.2mm, 7.09g, 11h)
Dated 1644. Emergency mint in Batavia, Dutch East Indies
Obverse: VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company; · ½ · ST · above
Reverse: BATAVIA · ANNO · 1644 · around rim containing sword
References: Numista 57175
Mintage: unknown

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The United East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie; VOC for short) was founded by the Dutch in 1602 and over the next century became the largest, richest, and most powerful trading company in the world, dominating the European trade in spices and other luxuries from the Far East. The VOC was also one of the world’s first multinational joint-stock companies, issuing shares available for purchase by ordinary citizens and paying an average annual dividend of 18% for nearly 200 years. Like many of the large chartered trade companies of the era, the VOC exercised extensive quasi-governmental powers, empowered to establish forts and colonies, negotiate treaties, wage war, and mint its own coinage. Towards the end of the 17th century, the VOC faced growing competition, mostly from the rival English East India Company. War between the English and the Dutch in the 1780s seriously drained the VOC’s resources and soon the company became overloaded with debt. The VOC was formally dissolved in 1799 and its territories ceded to the Dutch government.

Unlike the later, ubiquitous copper VOC doit of the 18th century, this scarce and interesting coin was not only minted during the height of the VOC’s supremacy, but also minted locally in Batavia, the principal trading port of the Dutch East Indies. Authorization for the issue was granted by the Company on August 19, 1644, with a local Chinaman named Conjok employed to produce copper coins with values of ½ and ¼ stuiver. Conjok used the traditional Chinese method of casting the coins, rather than die striking them, producing an unknown quantity before the issue was abruptly halted and the coins officially demonetized on September 21 that same year.

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Here are a few more VOC coins from my collection. These doit are fun and inexpensive - I don't think any of these cost more than $25. You get a lot of history for your money! Plus, there's a ton of variety with dates, mints, and designs.
These coins also circulated heavily in the Dutch colonies of the Americas, including the North American colonies.

DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1602-1799
CU Duit (21.1mm, 2.45g, 1h)
Dated 1735. Dordrecht mint, Netherlands
Obverse: Crowned coat of arms of Holland
Reverse: VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company; rosette flanked by dots above, date below
References: Numista 18851
Mintage: unknown

DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1602-1799
CU Duit (21.9mm, 3.11g, 12h)
Dated 1742. Utrecht mint, Netherlands
Obverse: Crowned coat of arms of Utrecht, scrollwork in exergue
Reverse: VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company; shield flanked by dots above, date below
References: Numista 6585
Mintage: unknown

DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1602-1799
CU Duit (21.9mm, 3.08g, 12h)
Dated 1780. Dordrecht mint, Netherlands
Obverse: Crowned coat of arms of Holland
Reverse: VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company; rosette flanked by dots above, date below
References: Numista 18851
Mintage: unknown

The above coin in a more creative composition I made some time ago.

Thanks for taking a look! Feel free to comment and/or post your own VOC and related coins!