25 mark notgeld uit Duitsland, Höhr, Coblenz,1921 1921

This 25 mark notgeld was made in Höhr, Coblenz, Germany in 1921, likely by A. Kamp, out of fired earth. It's so lovely to think about making money out of the very ground beneath your feet; the humbleness of the material speaks to its origins in a place and time of hardship. The artist has used a really interesting approach to mark making. The letters and symbols are pressed into the surface of the coin like low relief sculptures. They catch the light and cast tiny shadows, giving the coin a tactile, almost crumbly quality. Look closely at the rim. See the little raised bumps all the way around? They remind me of stitches, like a seam holding the coin together. Maybe it's a visual metaphor for holding a community together during tough times. There’s something very satisfying in its earthiness; it reminds us that even money, the most abstract thing, is rooted in material reality. Like art, actually.