Strafgevangenis Ommerschans, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van 25 cent after 1822

This is a house coin worth 25 cents, made for the Ommerschans penitentiary by the Society of Benevolence. The numbers pressed into this square of metal are stark reminders of the coin’s grim purpose: to regulate commerce within a prison. The stamped numbers, devoid of artistic flourish, speak volumes about the dehumanizing conditions of the penitentiary system. We see a similar reduction of human worth into mere numbers in concentration camps, where identities were replaced with numerical tattoos, a chilling echo across time. Consider also how ancient cultures used coinage, often emblazoned with rulers' faces or symbols of power, to project authority and wealth. This coin flips that notion on its head. There is no artistry, just function. It evokes the psychological impact of incarceration: the loss of identity, the reduction to a mere unit within a system. It's a bleak mirror reflecting a dark corner of the human experience. These symbols are cyclical, appearing in various forms throughout history.