Frisian gold coin from 16th century breaks record at auction

A Frisian gold coin dating back to the Eighty Years’ War has raised a record amount at auction.

The rare gold half Philipsdaalder from 1580 sold for a whopping €369,000 on Wednesday at Heritage Auctions Europe in IJsselstein. It set a record for the most expensive Dutch provincial coin.

The coin features an image of Philip II, the king of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Netherlands at the beginning of the Eighty Years’ War, which broke out in 1568. Despite the revolt, his image still appeared on coins in the early years of the war, hence the coin’s name.

Half Philipsdaalders were minted only in small numbers in Friesland, and just two silver examples from the province are known to exist. The gold coin was last on display in Leeuwarden in 1877, when it belonged to former mayor Rengers.

The auction house hasn’t said who its new owner is.

According to Jacco Scheper of Heritage Auctions Europe, reports AD, the coin fits into a broader trend of exceptional and rare pieces fetching record amounts, whether they be coins or rare Pokémon cards and retro video games.