The 1742 Dutch Holland gold ducat was struck for the United Provinces (Dutch Republic) at the Dordrecht mint. The obverse shows a standing, armored knight holding a sword and sheaf of arrows, flanked by the legend: “CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT” (Latin for “Unity makes strength”).
Obverse: Features the classic ducat motif of a standing knight with the date “1742” split beside him, framed by the unity legend. The figure symbolizes the martial strength and cooperative spirit of the Dutch provinces.
Reverse: Displays a decorated square tablet inscribed: “MO:ORD: PROVIN: FOEDER: BELG: AD LEG: IMP”, translating to “Coin of the United Provinces of the Netherlands by Imperial law.” This format was standardized across centuries of ducat production and accepted worldwide as a bullion trade coin.
Graded PCGS MS62, the coin is uncirculated with only minor blemishes, a high grade for this issue. Most surviving examples from the 18th century show signs of circulation, typically falling into EF or AU ranges. By contrast, this MS62 piece retains full mint bloom and crisp details from the day it was struck. The NGC census lists only 10 Mint State examples for this date, and no higher grades are recorded (MS63/MS64), confirming the coin's extreme rarity in high grade.
