acht mariëngroschen, noodmunt uit Minden, geslagen tijdens het beleg door hertog George van Brunswijk-Luneburg 1634

Curator: The very first impression I get looking at this, if I’m being perfectly honest, is one of slightly distressed geometry. It's all squares, but none are quite right... Editor: I see exactly what you mean. The shape and material of this intriguing artifact tell us a story about survival. What we have here is an eight Mariengroschen coin. Specifically, a piece of emergency money. Struck in 1634, in Minden during the siege by Duke George of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Curator: Ah, that's exactly the kind of context that brings things into focus! So this misshapen metal square wasn’t *meant* to be aesthetically pleasing. It represents desperation, doesn’t it? Necessity trumping artistry, even the artistry of coin making. I suppose value gets its validation elsewhere... Editor: Precisely. The roughly hewn quality and simple inscription – that baroque-era typeface with those little flourishes— speak of immediacy. We find “MINd(en) OBESSA(ta)” encircling the year, communicating directly, this coin tells of the plight of those within the city walls. Look how the symbols and words all coalesce into one purpose-bound emblem! Curator: Like a tiny, metallic telegram shouting from the past. So each mark, each imperfection... is significant! Knowing that it was created in a moment of intense pressure gives it almost an alchemical weight. Ordinary metal, made meaningful through conflict. Editor: Exactly! It highlights our psychological relationship with symbols of value. It's fascinating how something so crudely made can become a potent symbol of endurance, or perhaps a potent memento mori… both! I’m really taken by that little flourish after the "C" in "GROSCHEN"; it's barely there but feels deeply significant. Curator: I feel humbled somehow by it. It transcends mere economics; it speaks to resilience, invention, even beauty amidst strife, and that is beautiful indeed. This quirky little object throws light on a lot... Editor: Absolutely, it leaves me contemplating how, sometimes, necessity becomes the greatest, if most unconventional, art. A token and a monument.