Herstel en reductie der schellingen, 1692 1693

This broadside from 1692 was printed in the Hague to inform the public about changes to Dutch currency. As the text above the coins indicates, the States of Holland and West Friesland are addressing their citizens about the value of shillings. This printed image provides a visual guide to distinguish legitimate coins from those of debased value. Money has always been a visual medium, and this broadside shows how images work to establish economic value and regulate social conduct. The Rijksmuseum collects such ephemera as sources of social and economic history. Close study of such images, combined with archival research, can reveal the daily concerns of people in the past. These resources can help us understand how the social order was maintained through visual communication and institutional authority.