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The rijksdaalder (Dutch, "imperial dollar") was a Dutch coin first issued in the 18th century worth 2½ gulden or 50 stuivers (the Dutch equivalent of shillings).
The coin was introduced to the Cape Colony (Batavian Republic) as a theoretical currency (trade dollar). Due to the hectic trading that occurred there in the "Early Days", with too many currencies for all to trust, the Rijksdaalder was the coin to trade with. The denomination was so popular, in fact, that in later years a Cape Rix dollar note with the same value as the coin was issued.
Following decimalization (in 1816), 2½ gulden coins were no longer produced because a 3 gulden coin was thought to better fit in the series of denominations. This turned out to be a mistake (due to the high silver price) and from 1840 onward 2½ gulden coins were produced again. Production stopped in 2002 due to the introduction of the euro. 2½ gulden coins were better known by their nickname rijksdaalder or knaak. Thaler (daalder) was worth 1½ guldens.
The Royal Dutch Mint still mints a silver ducat today.
The similarly named Reichsthaler, rixdollar, riksdaler and rigsdaler were used in (Batavian Republic)((Thats Cape town 200 years ago))andGermany and Austria-Hungary, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, respectively.
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