Tien stuiver, noodmunt van de Verenigde Belgische Staten 1790

This coin, a 'Tien Stuiver,' was struck in the late 1700s by Theodorus Victor van Berckel, probably in what is now Belgium. It's made of silver, carefully die-struck with images relating to the short-lived United Belgian States. Now, coins are interesting things. They're not usually considered 'art,' but they’re absolutely designed, and they speak volumes about the society that produced them. Think about the labor involved: the mining of the silver, the craftsmanship of the die, the force required to strike each coin. This one was likely produced in response to a shortage of currency, a 'noodmunt,' or emergency coin. You can see that its design is relatively simple, perhaps reflecting the urgency of its production. The silver itself would have been valued, melted, and carefully weighed to ensure that each coin held its worth. Consider this coin not just as a piece of currency, but as a record of a moment in time, a testament to the economic and political forces at play in the late 18th century. It blurs the line between craft, necessity, and political statement.