NETHERLANDS . Middelburg. Daalder 1572 NGC XF-Details
REVOLT DUTCH, Netherlands
Issued December 20, 1572. Dated 1572. +/. D.R.P./. F. MIDD /· 1 · 5 · 7 · Z in four lines within the pearl border; Zeeland coat of arms seal on the left, Middelburg coat of arms seal on the right.
In 1559, William the Silent, Prince of Orange, was given governorship of several Dutch provinces by the Spanish King Philip II. However, William’s good relationship with the Spanish Habsburgs did not last long. William’s frustration with the Spanish arose from several issues. He, along with many Dutch Catholics, was unhappy with the persecution of non-Catholics. He also felt that the Spanish were undermining the influence of the native Dutch nobles. Finally, taxation was a controversial issue; The wealthy merchants of the Low Countries felt they were financing an unfairly large share of the Habsburgs’ costly wars. In response to these perceived injustices, William emerged as a very popular supporter of the Dutch resistance, helping to form a confederation dedicated to reducing Spain’s power in the region. When Philip II discovered William’s role in the rebellion, the prince was stripped of his estates in the Netherlands. In response, William gathered an army and began attacking Spanish-controlled coastal cities. In 1572 he besieged Middelburg, a city in the province of Zeeland. The city finally surrendered in 1574 and was occupied. These events marked the opening stages of the Eighty Years’ War, a long struggle by the Dutch to gain independence from Spain.
