Namur Double Denier

The Namur Double Denier was struck on planchets that often included recycled silver from worn Spanish coins, reflecting the economic pressures of the Eighty Years' War.

That variability in metal quality made each piece a gamble for merchants, who couldn't always trust its weight. Some years, the coin barely held enough silver to justify its double value.

We know production occurred in Namur under Spanish oversight, but exact mintages are lost to time—likely burned in one of the many sieges that plagued the region.

As for designs, they typically featured a simple cross or the arms of Philip II, though strikes were crude, with edges sometimes irregular from hurried dies. It's no wonder these coins show wear after centuries; handling one feels like shaking hands with history's rough edges.