Confrerie van de Edele Handboog te Middelburg 1628

This silver insignia was made by Johannes Looff in Middelburg. It represents the Guild of the Noble Handbow, a confraternity that existed in the region. The coin's materiality speaks volumes about the values it represents. Silver, a precious metal, would have been carefully chosen for its associations with value and status. Struck with dies, the coin-making process shows the precision necessary to inscribe heraldic emblems and inscriptions. Consider the labor involved, not only in mining and refining the silver, but also in the skilled die-cutting required to create the matrix. In this case, craftsmanship and hierarchy walk hand in hand. The choice of material, combined with the method of production, suggests the significance that the Handbow guild held in the local social fabric. It demonstrates how an object of modest scale can be densely packed with cultural meaning.