Gelderse tien stuiver, 1606 1606

This is a Gelderse tien stuiver, a coin made in 1606 by the Province of Gelderland. The coin presents a circular composition, its surface dominated by a figure in full armor. The figure stands rigidly, almost pressed into the coin's limited space, creating a tension between representation and physical form. Consider the semiotic weight of the armor. It is not merely protective gear but a signifier of power, status, and the ever-present potential for conflict. The lion emblazoned on the shield held by the figure further reinforces this semiotic load, acting as a heraldic symbol of the province and its martial strength. The coin's circular form contains and concentrates these symbols, suggesting an enclosed, self-referential system of meaning. Its limited dimensions, coupled with the density of its iconography, prompt questions about how such objects participate in the construction and circulation of value, both economic and symbolic, within a culture. The coin is not just currency; it is a condensed assertion of identity and authority, a token of power made palpable through design.