Daalder, noodmunt uit Groningen, geslagen tijdens het beleg (voorzien van een tekst over de inname van Coevorden) 1672

Editor: This is a "Daalder," an emergency coin, made in Groningen during the siege of 1672. It commemorates the capture of Coevorden. Created anonymously from metal, it almost looks like a little treasure, but there’s something sad about it too…it's heavy, a weighty relic of a difficult moment. What strikes you about it? Curator: The very shape grabs me—a deliberate square trying to be a circle on one side, a written decree on the other! It shouts resourcefulness, doesn’t it? During sieges, conventional money disappears, so civic leaders melted down anything available—pots, pans, church bells—into these emergency coins. Each one is a tiny monument to resilience. I can almost hear the hammering and feel the tension of the moment… what do you think of when looking at its relief and inscription? Editor: It definitely speaks to ingenuity. The inscription looks elaborate, almost decorative. The shield on the other side feels quite grand considering the circumstances. Is this a common artifact? Curator: Common, in a historical sense. Many cities under siege produced such coins. But each coin is unique in its specifics – the weight of silver available, the urgency of the situation. These aren’t just bits of metal; they’re little capsules of civic desperation and pride all mixed together! And the inscriptions... do you read them as boasts, prayers, or maybe just news reports? Editor: Perhaps all three! A fascinating piece of history rendered into something almost… pocket-sized. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! It always delights me how everyday objects can whisper such incredible stories. There’s so much to unpack from just a single, misshapen coin.