Hollandse groot van Willem V, 1345-1389 1376 - 1388

Curator: Looking at this object, I feel instantly transported back in time! Editor: You know, to me, it mostly looks like a rather battered, albeit silvery, button. Though, I grant you, a button that has stories etched all over it. Curator: That "button," as you call it, is actually a Hollandse groot of Willem V, dating from around 1376 to 1388. We're talking about a significant piece of history, offering insight into the medieval politics and identity of the region, shaped through carving and the materiality of the metal itself. Editor: "Identity" is spot-on. Just examining that roughly carved portrait... it’s hard not to ponder on how Willem V himself would feel about being distilled into such a small, portable... representation. Sort of brings the big guy down to earth, right? Curator: Indeed! The creation and circulation of such coins were deeply intertwined with the ruler’s legitimacy and the social order. Think of it: each coin as a miniature piece of propaganda, reinforcing Willem's authority within an economy fundamentally reliant on tangible proof. Editor: Oh, absolutely, propaganda you can jingle in your purse. What about the symbolism? I'm seeing… well, I am squinting a bit, but I’m thinking, a stylized lion perhaps, and elaborate floral motifs. What might these symbols represent within the tapestry of the era’s understanding of power? Curator: Good eye. Lions were standard symbols on medieval coins of the Low Countries. And I agree, even the lettering, in all its somewhat crude medieval form, conveys power through declaration of ownership and territory. We’re talking here of inherited power legitimized through religion and tradition. It’s potent. Editor: And all this wrought in such hard metal. Think about the maker of this coin… what world views did they subscribe to? We’re really getting a view into late medieval Holland! A nice heavy bit of portable power, for rich and poor alike. What do you suppose someone bought with this, when brand new? Curator: Looking at this, I’m now left pondering just how monetary systems underpinned structures of social, economic, and symbolic order in this pivotal period of Dutch history. Editor: While for me, its physical endurance gives me pause for thought: what other forgotten things will people find from our culture in seven hundred years? It does kinda make you think, eh?