City Plate, Amsterdam

Part of our eighth series of City Plates, “Points of Departure.” This collection explores departure points for legendary journeys: prospectors seeking their fortunes, explorers setting out for new lands, and importers and exporters shipping vast quantities of goods. AmsterdamThe capital city of the Netherlands began as a small fishing village in the 12th century, named after its origin as a dam on the Amstel river. During the 17th century, Amsterdam entered its Golden Age with the establishment of the Dutch East India Company, quickly becoming the center of a worldwide trading network. The city pioneered modern global finance, inventing share trading and establishing the worlds first stock exchange. The picturesque rings of canals featured on this plate were built during this time for defense, water management, and transport. The City Plates measure 12 across. Key buildings are represented with persimmon icons, while rivers and public spaces are shown in blue and green.