Late 15th century (in an earlier sense). From Middle Dutch placke, plac small coin (originally Flemish) of varying value, current in the 14th–15th cent. (Dutch regional (Holland) †plak small coin, e.g. in 19th-cent. use in Amsterdam denoting a coin worth two and a half cents), transferred use of placke, plac stain, spot. The Middle Dutch word was also borrowed into other European languages; compare Middle Low German placke, plak small Flemish coin, also coin blank, Middle French, French plaque small Flemish coin, post-classical Latin placca, placka, plaka.