Strafgevangenis Ommerschans, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van tien cent before 1830

This is a house coin from the Strafgevangenis Ommerschans, a penal colony that was minted by an anonymous artist under the order of the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid. The material and design of the coin are striking: a rough, uneven circle of dull metal. The stamped numbers – '10' on one side, '01' on the other – are crude, almost brutalist in their simplicity. The marks around the perimeter resemble the kind of rudimentary decorations a child might make. The coin, both sides of which are displayed here, offers a fascinating exploration of value and control. As a form of currency, this object speaks to the power structures inherent in a closed environment like a prison. It invites us to consider how even the most basic elements of daily life, like money, can become tools of governance and social control. We can see in its rough materiality a symbol of the regimentation, discipline, and denial of individuality within the prison colony. The coin thus embodies a complex set of meanings that go far beyond its monetary worth.