Westfriese gulden, 1793 1793

This is a Westfriese gulden, made in 1793 by the Landschap West-Friesland. The coin's design is dominated by heraldic imagery. A crowned shield featuring a lion rampant is framed by inscriptions, all meticulously engraved on a circular surface. The symmetry and repetition of forms—the crown's jewels, the lion's claws, and the lettering—create a dense, patterned texture that speaks to the coin's function as both a symbol of authority and a medium of exchange. Consider how the choice of silver and the act of minting transform base metal into an object laden with cultural value. The coin's symbolic language engages with systems of power, identity, and economic exchange. The circular form, in its continuous loop, challenges the very notion of fixed value, suggesting that meaning is fluid and subject to constant re-evaluation.