Goddelijke bijstand aan de opstandelingen 1606

This small coin, of unknown date and maker, is made of silver. The material has been hammered and stamped to create the imagery on both sides. The designs celebrate ‘divine assistance to the rebels.’ Coins like this are primary evidence of early capitalism. Their value is intrinsic to the precious metal they contain, and they are made using sophisticated metallurgical techniques, showing evidence of the division of labor. The stamping process, while simple, is an early form of industrial production. As such, this coin’s imagery has social significance: on one side, the skyline of a fortified city is depicted, while the other shows heraldic shields. The coin thus represents an aspiration to sovereignty, a desire to enter into a new economic order. Its imagery, stamped in silver, demonstrates that a collective of people were intent on making their mark.