Eerste gesticht van de strafkolonie Veenhuizen, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van 25 cent 1818 - 1859

This brass coin, of unknown authorship, was struck for use in the Veenhuizen penal colony. The first thing that strikes you is its form: a circle, a shape connoting wholeness. The inscriptions M.V.W. and 25 Cts, however, belie the apparent harmony. Consider how the use of a coin here destabilizes traditional monetary values. Its creation points to the establishment's attempt to create a controlled economy, separate from the outside world. The design is sparse; minimal. The very basic lettering underscores a functional aesthetic. Note how the unadorned surface challenges conventional notions of value and currency. This reflects broader philosophical questions about social control, autonomy, and the creation of closed systems. It suggests how institutions can manipulate symbols to enforce structures of power. The coin then is not just an object, but a potent symbol of a contained society.