Marketplace · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
The world's oldest known continuously paying bond, issued 400 years ago by a Dutch water works to fund dike repairs, still pays approximately 13 euros annually. The bond, written on goatskin, was gifted to the New York Stock Exchange as a symbol of friendship.
“I actually attended the 400th birthday party of the world's oldest bond. It's written on goat skin. It's issued by a, used to be issued by a Dutch water works to build to repair some dikes 400 years ago.”
“The dike is still there, and a bend of a river in the Netherlands. And the bond still pays interest, around 13 euros a year.”
“It was gifted to the New York Stock Exchange as a symbol of friendship between Amsterdam and New York because New York and and New Amsterdam was actually, they were founded in 1624, when the bond was born.”