Tuchthuis te Amsterdam (rasphuis), huismunt met no. 3 1599

Curator: Here we have a rather unusual example of early modern numismatics. This piece, dated 1599, is known as "Tuchthuis te Amsterdam (rasphuis), huismunt met no. 3". It is, in fact, a coin struck for use within the Amsterdam "rasphuis," a house of correction. Editor: It immediately strikes me as a miniature monument of austerity. The metallic sheen and small size give it a palpable sense of enforced limitation, of strict boundaries visually imposed. It is a sort of memento mori, but for the living. Curator: Precisely. These coins circulated internally, acting as payment for the inmates’ labor. Note the central image—two figures sawing wood, emblematic of the rasping or filing of wood that was the prison’s industry. This image, replicated on countless coins, normalized daily routine while implying a social message. Editor: And the typography, enclosed by an ornamented frame. "TVCHT HVVS," in that stylized font. Even the serifs possess an almost barbed quality. This highlights a prevailing binary. On one side an artistic expression of liberty, with the surrounding foliage and design and on the other a representation of captivity through script. Curator: It speaks volumes about early modern attitudes toward labor, punishment, and reform. These weren’t merely spaces of detention but envisioned as sites of moral and economic re-integration. And, to be clear, this coin isn’t simply money, but a marker of social standing. Possessing more house-coins likely signaled favor with supervisors. Editor: A chilling thought—privilege within imprisonment monetized, a miniature economy of control visualized in this material artefact. Look closely and one can discern a deeper meaning: the intrinsic nature of humanity at odds with freedom, which must ultimately resolve back to labor as we rasp at the wood and the bars. Curator: It also serves as a commentary about human dignity during confinement. Perhaps the very act of paying them legitimized this forced labor. Editor: A powerful little object. A testament to a mindset. And for me, I can begin to decode and comprehend that mindset a bit more.