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

This small, anonymous coin was made for use in the Veenhuizen penal colony. These institutions were established in the early 19th century by the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid, or Society of Benevolence, to address poverty by providing work and housing for the poor, vagrants, and orphans. The coin, with a value of 25 cents, represents a localized economy operating within the confines of the colony. The letters ‘M.V.V.W’ stand for ‘Maatschappij van Weldadigheid Werklieden’ or ‘Society of Benevolence Workmen’. This token economy served not only practical purposes but also as a form of social control, regulating the lives of those within the colony through the management of their labor and consumption. What does it mean to create a society with benevolence, through the use of a currency that dictates the lives of those marginalized in society? This coin whispers of forced labor, exploitation, and the illusion of a self-sustaining community, challenging our understanding of welfare, and who it really serves.