Oord, kwart stuiver van het Catharina-gasthuis van Leiden, circuleerde in de periode 1573-1576 als kleingeld in Leiden

This is an 'Oord', a quarter stuiver, a humble coin made of silver, that was minted in Leiden around 1573-1576. Coins like this were hammered out on a die, a hard metal stamp, in relatively large numbers. The material is key to understanding its function; it was literally money, an essential lubricant for everyday life. The silver gives it an intrinsic value, while the designs on either side—a wheel on one side, a heraldic lion on the other—gave it official sanction. The fact that this coin was issued by the Catharina-gasthuis, a hospital, suggests that even charitable institutions were participating in the local economy. The production of these coins, while not ‘art’ in the traditional sense, was nevertheless a form of making that had a significant social impact. The coin stands as a reminder of the relationship between materials, craft, and economic life in the 16th century.