Munttoren

It stands on the busy Muntplein square, where the Amstel river and the Singel canal meet, near the flower market and the eastern end of the Kalverstraat shopping street.

After the gate went up in flames in a 1618 fire, only the guard house and part of the western tower remained standing.

The tower was then rebuilt in Amsterdam Renaissance style in 1620,[1] with an eight-sided top half and elegant open spire designed by Hendrick de Keyser,[1] featuring a clockwork with four clockfaces and a carillon of bells.

In the Rampjaar ("year of disaster") of 1672, when both England and France declared war on the Dutch Republic and French troops occupied much of the country, silver and gold could no longer be safely transported to Dordrecht and Enkhuizen (where coins were normally minted), so the guard house of the Munttoren was temporarily used to mint coin.

In 1960 when the carillon was restored by Petit & Fritsen from Aarle Rixtel, a baton keyboard as a manual playing system was re-installed.