Vier noodmunten tijdens het beleg van Oudewater in 1575 geslagen 1875

Eberhard Cornelis Rahms made this print of four emergency coins in 1875, using an etching technique called aquafortis. The print depicts coins that were made of necessity during the siege of Oudewater in 1575. Aquafortis, or nitric acid, allowed Rahms to render the coins in fine detail. The printmaking process is evident in the cross-hatched background, and the delicate lines that define the coins’ surfaces. The use of printmaking to depict these coins underscores their social and economic significance. Currency, even of the emergency variety, is always an artifact of broader systems. The coins are not just metallic objects but represent a community's resilience during conflict. In capturing these emergency coins through printmaking, Rahms highlights the intersection of material culture, history, and artistic representation. This print invites us to consider the amount of ingenuity and work required in the production of even the most humble objects.