Duit

The duit was a copper Dutch coin worth 2 penning, with 8 duit pieces equal to one stuiver and 160 duit pieces equal to one gulden. In Dutch Indonesia 4 duit pieces were equal to one stuiver. To prevent smuggling, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ordered special coins with their monogram embossed upon them. Only those pieces were valid in Indonesia. It was once used in the Americas while under Dutch rule.

The name of the coin was preserved for a long time in the 'fourduitcoin' (or plak), because it was worth 4 duiten = half a stuiver (or 2,5 cent).

In the Dutch language, there are many expressions, proverbs and sayings which feature the word 'duit'.

Putting a duit in the bag (Een duit in het zakje doen) - to contribute something
He is a duit-thief (Hij is een duitendief) - he is very greedy
He has much shit, but little duit (Hij heeft veel kak, maar weinig duiten) - he is a boaster
To be courageous like a three-duit haddock (Moed hebben als een schelvis van drie duiten) - to be cowardly
To give someone of four duit back (Iemand van vier duiten weerom geven) - to tell someone the truth

Influence

The word duit was absorbed into the Malaysian and Indonesian vocabulary, becoming a word representing 'money', besides wang (Malay)/uang (Indonesian).

The duit is also referred to as the "New York penny" due to its use as a Colonial monetary unit in Dutch New Amsterdam (later New York) and for years later, long after Dutch rule had passed. It was part of the coinage used to purchase the island of Manhattan from the locals. ^{[citation needed]}