Schippersgilde, gildepenning van Pieter Klinkert van Blockzijl 1730

This small, anonymous medal from 1739 is a ‘guild penny’ made for Pieter Klinkert of Blockzijl, a member of the Skipper’s Guild. Guilds like this one played a vital role in the economic and social life of the Dutch Republic. The image on one side shows a typical sailing ship of the time. The other side bears an inscription with Klinkert’s name and the year. These pennies served as proof of membership and perhaps as a kind of ID. Guilds provided a framework for regulating trades, setting standards, and protecting the interests of their members. They functioned as social networks too, providing support in times of need. To understand this simple object more fully, we can turn to archival records of the guilds themselves. These documents reveal the rules, regulations, and social dynamics that shaped the lives of artisans and merchants in the Dutch Republic, reminding us that even a small coin can open a window onto a complex world.