Gold 12 guilder emergency coin; issued by the WIC during the Portuguese siege of Pernambuco
Money often already existed in areas in Asia that the Netherlands conducted trade with and which became colonies. The Dutch occasionally used these original coins, which often look different from the European ones. At the same time, Dutch money was adapted for the colonies, and sometimes even entirely new coins were minted. The monetary system of the Dutch colonies in Asia and America was therefore a cultural mishmash.