This coin is often referred to as the "First New York Penny." They were produced by the Dutch East India Company for use in the spice trade. At the peak of this companies' history, they employed 36,000 people facilitating trade from Asia and the East. The coins were minted in the Netherlands and used by the company for trade in the Dutch colonies and around the world.  They are still found in Dutch VOC shipwreck sites and former VOC colonies.