Groningse vlieger, 1476 1476

This is a silver coin, or 'Groningse vlieger', made in 1476 by the city of Groningen. The material itself tells us a great deal. Silver was a precious commodity, reflecting the wealth and power of the city that produced it. Consider the process: the mining of the ore, the refining of the silver, the design and engraving of the die, and the striking of the coin itself. Each stage involved skilled labor, and the coin embodies a whole network of social relations. You can see the traces of this making process in the crispness of the image, and in the wear and tear accumulated over centuries of handling. The coin is not just a symbol of economic exchange; it's a testament to the labor and resources that underpinned the medieval economy. So, next time you encounter an object like this, remember to think about the hands that made it, and the world that it represents.