Wakefield Museums and Castles

This coin is a silver ducaton. Ducatons were coins issued in parts of the Spanish Habsburg Empire. They were especially used in parts of Italy and the Netherlands. This one was made in the Duchy of Brabant (in modern Belgium).

This ducaton was minted in the name of Philip IV. The inscription includes many of his titles. It reads ‘Philip IV by the Grace of God King of Spain and the Indies, Archduke of Austria and Duke of Brabant and Burgundy’.

During the 1640s ducatons were accepted as currency in England. They had a value of five shillings and six pence.

Ducatons were closely linked to the Royalists. Charles I's wife and queen was Henrietta Maria. She was French and Catholic. She was not popular in England.

When the English Civil Wars began in 1642, Henrietta Maria was in the Netherlands. She was witnessing their daughter’s marriage to the Prince of Orange. Henrietta began rallying support for her husband, Charles I. She raised money for the Royalist cause.

Henrietta sent this money in the form of ducatons to the Royalist commander in the north, the Earl of Newcastle. She then crossed to England herself with more money. She landed in Bridlington and joined the Royalist army in York for a while.

Henrietta then travelled south via Pontefract and Newark to join Charles in Oxford. It is possible to trace her route south by following the trail of ducatons that have been found.

The Ackworth Hoard contained 12 ducatons, including this one. This is a lot for a very high value foreign coin.

We can’t tell if they came from the money sent to the Earl of Newcastle, or from Henrietta Maria directly. But they were almost certainly linked to a Royalist supporter.