At some point during the Exploration era, the Dutch had reached a bargain trade with the British by giving Manhattan for one of the Banda islands in Indonesia, because of its nutmeg. The Dutch wanted to take a firm hold of the nutmeg monopoly and so considered that it was a worthy investment to exchange Manhattan for it. Unfortunately for the Dutch, Manhattan became one of the most bustling boroughs in New York while nutmeg depreciated in value. However, this account of what transpired back then was only scratching the surface of what truly happened or, rather why the Banda Islands became popular for its various spices, particularly nutmeg.
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