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Netherlands: Two sides of a duit, a coin minted in 1735 by the VOC or Dutch East India Company

Netherlands: Two sides of a duit, a coin minted in 1735 by the VOC or Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money, and establish colonies.

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