dubbeltje, noun2

/ˈdəbəlki/
Forms:
dubbeltjie, dubbletieShow more Also dubbeltjie, dubbletie, dublejee, dubleke, duppeltje.
Origin:
DutchShow more Dutch, literally ‘little double one’.
historical
Either of two coins used at the Cape of Good Hope at various times:
1. The two-stuiver piece used during the rule of the Dutch East India Company, and worth about twopence. See also stiver.
Note:
The Zulu word for ‘penny’ is indiblishi, an adaptation of ‘dubbeltje’.
1691 ‘Dr Browne’ in R. Raven-Hart Cape G.H. 1652–1702 (1971) II. 388They value noe monie except it bee a skilling or a dubleke with which they buy brandie or tobacco from the Dutch.
1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 168They (sc. the Hottentots) have now and then in the Service of an European a Dubbletie given ’em, a two Penny Piece of Dutch money.
1795 C.R. Hopson tr. of C.P. Thunberg’s Trav. I. 231Two-pences (dubbeltjes) and single pence (or stivers) are scarce, as also are ducats, and the gold coin called riders (goude reijers).
1861 P.B. Borcherds Auto-Biog. Mem. 21With the schoolmistress I was also on the best of terms. The little silver dubbeltje (a Dutch coin), which was my Sunday allowance, was always spent in the cakes which she so nicely baked.
1920 K.M. Jeffreys tr. of Memorandum of Commissary J.A. de Mist 279The double stuiver, called the dubbeltje, was circulated at 36 for one ducaton or driegulden, and 12 for one gulden.
1925 H.J. Mandelbrote tr. of O.F. Mentzel’s Descr. of Cape of G.H. II. 65When barred at the gate by a group of men with drawn swords, they gave each a duppeltje, i.e., 2 stuivers! The men had to hide their chagrin and let them pass.
2. The English penny piece, used in South Africa during the late 18th century and the 19th century, at a value of two stuivers, or twopence; doublejee sense 1. Cf. oulap noun.
1821 C.I. Latrobe Jrnl of Visit 240I presented him with a few doppelgens (penny-pieces).
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 78The only current coin, are English pennypieces, which here pass for the value of two pence, and are called dubbeltjes.
1833 S. Kay Trav. & Researches 283At last he had scarcely dublejees (pence) sufficient to carry him back to the colony.
1850 T. Smith S. Afr. Delineated 161One individual..sent a note..enclosing what he called his dubbeltje (penny), which proved, when the note was opened, to be a sovereign.
1926 P.W. Laidler Tavern of Ocean 143The only coin in use was the English penny, and, as it passed for twopence, it was known as a ‘dubbeltje’. To-day its name is an ‘ou lap’, a worthless old rag.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 102The heavy ‘cartwheel’ penny pieces bearing the head of George III soon became known as ‘dubbeltjes’, as they were worth twopence.
1963 Hewson & Van der Riet Jrnl of ‘Harry Hastings’ 25The British penny piece was at that time in circulation at the Cape and was called a ‘dubbeltje’ being worth two stivers (stuivers), or a twenty-fourth part of a rixdollar.
1968 E.A. Walker Hist. of Sn Afr. 128Macartney tried to check the vagaries of the exchanges by importing silver Spanish dollars (4s.8d.) and copper dubbeltjes, pence which passed for twopence.
1972 Daily Dispatch 5 Apr. 12With the first British occupation of the Cape in 1795 two coins were introduced to help relieve the shortage of small money. One was the ‘Dubbeltjie’ — the British twopenny piece, also known as the ‘Cartwheel’. It got its name because it was declared current at two stuivers.
The two-stuiver piece used during the rule of the Dutch East India Company, and worth about twopence.
The English penny piece, used in South Africa during the late 18th century and the 19th century, at a value of two stuivers, or twopence; doublejee sense 1.
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16911972

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historical
dual-medium, adjectiveadj.dubbeltjedoorn, nounn.
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