Vi coactus

Vi coactus is a Latin term, abbreviated as V.C., and means: 'under constraint'. It is used to indicate an agreement made under duress.

An example of its usage is that of the Dutch 17th century statesman Cornelis de Witt, who was forced to sign the act for restoration of Stadholderate. After all the entreaties by his wife, though he signed the contract but only before adding V.C. to his signature. ^[1] In the early chapters of his historically set novel The Black Tulip, Alexandre Dumas describes the episode in detail, along with the role and meaning of the two letters V.C. ^{[2] [3]}

The term is sometimes used on Medical prescriptions, especially on opiates when they are given under duress; i.e. the patient forcing the doctor to write the recipe.

References

1. Detail
2. The novel's complete text on Project Gutenberg, public domain
3. Chapter 1 of The Black Tulip