The Nieuwerkerken hoard

Copper coins in Liege during the late 18th and early 19th

century

General background

• Little interest• Abundance of archival information and

normative texts• Near absence of information on coin finds,

hoards as well as isolated finds

The Prince-Bishopric of Liège

• Physical barrier within the Southern Low Countries

• Part of the Holy Roman Empire• Bound by the decisions of the Lower Rhenish-

Westphalian Circle

Date

• Post quem 1820• Very few 19th century coins• 1819/1820 the first copper coins of the young

United Kingdom of the Netherlands• 1825 Law prohibiting the circulation of French

coins

Composotion

• Post quem 1820• Very few 19th century coins• 1819/1820 the first copper coins of the young

United Kingdom of the Netherlands• 1825 Law prohibiting the circulation of French

coins

The coins

• Liège• Dutch Republic• Holy Roman Empire• Southern Low Countries• France• Sweden• Great Britain

Conclusion

1. Normative texts trying to enforce a domestic monopoly versus 30 % of foreign coins

2. Extremey large time span of three 3 centuries

3. Importance of the coins of the Holy Roman Empire

4. Apparent contradiction between complaints about excess and shortage of small change