Duit van de stad Utrecht, 1668 1668

This copper Duit was produced in the city of Utrecht in 1668. Coins like this were essentially made by a repetitive striking process, whereby a die was pressed into a blank of metal, again and again. Given this mechanical approach, the subtleties of design – the letterforms, the crests, the borders – really come to the fore. These are miniaturized artworks, each one reflecting the values and aspirations of the society that produced them. This particular example, with its rough-hewn texture and somewhat distressed appearance, speaks to the vast numbers of coins that were produced and circulated. The intense effort of minting reflects the growing commercial activity in the Netherlands at this time. These humble objects offer insight into the everyday life of the 17th century. They stand as a reminder that even the most functional of things can tell us a great deal about social and economic forces.