½ Liard "Gigot" - Albert and Isabella (Late type)

The half-liard, colloquially known as the gigot, was minted in the Duchy of Brabant under the joint sovereignty of Archduke Albert VII of Austria and Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain. Issued during the early seventeenth century, this copper coinage was designed to address the persistent shortage of small change necessary for daily commerce within the Spanish Netherlands. Its introduction reflects the administration's efforts to stabilize the regional economy following the protracted conflicts of the Eighty Years' War.

The design of the gigot features the crossed branches of the Burgundian cross on the obverse, a symbol deeply tied to the Habsburg legacy and the Order of the Golden Fleece. The reverse typically displays the royal coat of arms, signifying the authority of the Archducal couple. While these coins were struck in significant quantities to facilitate trade, their modest intrinsic value meant they circulated heavily, and surviving specimens from 1608 often bear the marks of intensive use, reflecting their role as the primary medium for local transactions in the Low Countries.