Minting, Furnace for Base Coins and Copper 1771

Curator: Here we have Robert Bénard’s engraving, titled “Minting, Furnace for Base Coins and Copper.” It offers a detailed look at the industrial processes of its time. Editor: My first thought is: brutalist architecture! Even though it’s a diagram, the stark lines and shadowed spaces give it a real sense of weight and even… foreboding. Curator: Indeed! This print probably comes from an encyclopedia or technical manual. Bénard wasn’t aiming for beauty, but clarity. He illustrates the furnace and the ventilation systems required for minting coins. Editor: But there’s a strange beauty in that precision, isn’t there? Like a blueprint for some kind of… financial alchemy. All that brick, all that fire, just to make a few coins! It makes you wonder about the human cost. Curator: Absolutely. It's a potent reminder of the labor and resources embedded in the currencies we handle so casually. Editor: So, next time I’m paying for coffee, maybe I’ll pause and think about old Bénard and his furnace! Curator: A worthy exercise, I think, to see the value behind the value.