Twintig stuiver, noodmunt uit Kamerijk, geslagen tijdens de belegering door de Franse verdedigers van de stad 1589 - 1595

Curator: Here we have an interesting piece. This is a twenty stuiver emergency coin, or noodmunt, from Kamerijk, now known as Cambrai. It was struck during the siege by French defenders between 1589 and 1595. Editor: It's remarkably...angular. A lozenge shape, really unlike most coinage. The texture seems rough, almost crude. Not the sort of smooth finish we usually associate with currency. Curator: Precisely! The unusual form and material speak directly to its purpose. Besieged cities often faced coin shortages. Regular currency would vanish, hoarded away or melted down. Emergency coinage, like this piece, addressed the lack. Editor: So its form follows function in a rather direct way? A practical object forged from necessity in a turbulent socio-political situation. And I assume these weren't exactly crafted by master goldsmiths in peace time? Curator: Exactly, it was produced under duress. Notice the design: basic heraldic elements and simple punches, deeply struck. Metal was sourced wherever possible. Think of the political statement such objects made during wartime too! Editor: The deliberate embossing, no matter how primitive, sends a direct message about civic authority in defiance. Even reduced to this—an asymmetrical polygon—money, in some crude format, continued to be pushed out, reflecting a deep-seated resistance to yielding power. I'm curious how this impacted citizens on a daily level. Were shopkeepers compelled to accept this as real monetary compensation? Curator: Evidence indicates shopkeepers had little alternative in accepting it given the context. The council also took serious measures against people undermining its monetary value and credibility in the process. Editor: Well, thinking of it now, the simple, strong shape is oddly effective. Its crude workmanship almost highlights that spirit of survival under intense pressure. This coinage seems such a profound and immediate representation of societal defiance in terrible periods. Curator: Yes, objects like these invite profound contemplation about how people react when they try to deal with everyday economic hardships during prolonged periods of violence. Editor: I agree, and now I won’t simply regard ordinary, polished coins anymore!