Reckheimse duit van Ferdinand van Aspremont-Lynden (1636-1665) 1636 - 1665

Curator: Here we have a reckheimse duit of Ferdinand van Aspremont-Lynden, who reigned as heer van Reckheim between 1636 and 1665. It’s crafted from metal and exhibits techniques of printmaking, sculpture and engraving. Editor: It looks like an ancient sun, doesn't it? Heavily weathered, inscribed with mysterious lettering, like it's holding onto secrets. It almost hums with stories! Curator: Precisely! Numismatics, like other material cultures, offer an interesting avenue for exploring power dynamics, and social values. Currency bears inscriptions, iconography that tells of ruling powers. Who gets memorialized and how are pivotal aspects of studying any period of coinage. Editor: Absolutely, you know it reminds me of finding those old coins in my grandma’s sewing kit. The metal scent, that odd weight. Touching something generations touched. Do you think he ever held this exact coin? Did he fidget with it, deciding whether to buy a loaf of bread or perhaps something frivolous? Curator: Considering that his lordship was enmeshed in dynastic politics—his parents marrying as part of strategic moves—it’s plausible that a coin like this facilitated such negotiations, lubricating those social and familial relations with hard currency. Editor: Money always whispering... influencing fates. Thinking about how such a simple item as a coin could shift lives then, and what invisible systems are doing now. Curator: Indeed. It prompts crucial inquiry, does it not? From economic policies to everyday survival, the intersectional narratives this duit unveils push for critical assessment of marginalized experiences as well. It enables questioning structural inequalities across intersections like class and gender. Editor: It’s amazing how much history you squeeze from such a tiny thing. Me, I see a tangible piece of the past, a little talisman, whispered intentions made material! Curator: Which reveals our ongoing connection to past powers, I think! Editor: Totally.