Utrechtse dubbele groot van Floris van Wevelinghoven, 1379-1393 1379 - 1393

Curator: Up next we have an intriguing artifact: a silver coin, specifically, an Utrechtse dubbele groot. It dates back to between 1379 and 1393 and features Floris van Wevelinghoven. Editor: Oh, fascinating! It's amazing to hold something like this, so old. The surface feels cool and smooth, almost like touching history. What stories this little coin could tell! Curator: Indeed! And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Think about its function, you know? A means of exchange, a facilitator of commerce in the late medieval period. But it's also a little piece of propaganda, isn’t it? This coin, being made of metal, likely silver, would have signified wealth, power... authority. Editor: It's more than just its value though. Look at Floris’ face here – he appears surprisingly lifelike! Of course, in such a tiny space. Makes you wonder who engraved the mold for this thing? What were they thinking as they pressed this little stamp of authority onto the metal? Curator: Precisely! The production of this coin was, I believe, part of a larger network: from mining the silver, to refining it, to striking the coins. Someone would've designed it, certainly, but also countless labourers played their part too, the unsung hands, crafting what was effectively an economic engine. Editor: It's strange to think something so commonplace—a coin!— could be so intricately woven into the fabric of its society. This image of Floris, distributed amongst the public: Did people believe in this idealized representation? Was this a symbol they actually connected with? Curator: Interesting questions. In the grand scheme, maybe we’re not so different now, buying into constructed personas every day. Editor: You are so right! From the touch of it to the economic networks that underpinned it, the way materials and meanings interweave – I appreciate that so much. Curator: Likewise! Who knew one tiny coin could contain so much history and invite such rich reflections.