Bonk van 1 stuiver van Nederlands Indië,1818 1818

This is a "Bonk van 1 stuiver van Nederlands Indië," crafted in 1818 under the reign of Willem I. Its small scale draws us into an intimate engagement with its materiality. The copper alloy’s earthy tones are textured by age and handling, evidence of its circulation as currency. Despite its diminutive size, the coin's design features robust, blocky numerals denoting the year. These stand out from the worn surface. The coin's form, a rough-hewn cube, diverges from the typical circular planchet. The deviation from conventional coin design introduces semiotic complexity. It moves beyond mere economic function. The cube, with its associations of stability and volume, here becomes a signifier of Dutch colonial power and its economic aspirations in the East Indies. This challenges traditional numismatic aesthetics by prioritizing utility and symbolic assertion over artistic refinement.