This dataset contains polygons of the major authorities that existed in the Low Countries and that issued coins. Each authority is paired with beginning and end dates. Starting from the twelfth century onwards, most authorities are included except for small authorities such as towns.

Sources for this GIS dataset are manifold. One of the major sources is a project that is under development by the author of this dataset and aims to create a GIS map of late medieval administrative-judicial units (heerlijkheden) and/or parishes. However, also two base maps were used and converted into shapefiles: a political map of the Low Countries around 1350, the other of the Burgundian lands. Links to these base maps are included below.

Some disclaimers should also be made:

Only limited attention was given to changing landscapes and coastlines, especially in the Early and High Middle Ages.
The maps are an estimation of the political constitution in the Low Countries at any given time. The actual historical situation may have been different at various locations, and borders may be incorrect or imprecise.
The beginning and end dates should not be used as absolute values, they are more often than not intended to be practical for the purpose of our project: displaying coin production in the Low Countries.