Tien stuiver, noodmunt uit Amsterdam, geslagen tijdens het beleg uit het stedelijke zilver Possibly 1578

This is a 'tien stuiver', an emergency coin from Amsterdam, crafted from municipal silver during a siege. Imagine the social conditions that would lead a city to melt down its silver for coinage! This piece speaks to the fraught, often violent birth of the Dutch Republic. Its very existence highlights a crisis of public confidence. We see symbols of civic authority: the city's coat of arms, a crown, and inscriptions like "AR II FO," likely indicating the coin's value and the city's authority. The octagonal shape is also a practical choice, making it easily distinguishable from other coins. By examining period documents – city records, merchant's accounts, even personal letters – we can begin to understand the lived experience of those who held this coin. What did it buy? How did it circulate? By understanding the context, we can appreciate how objects like this coin offer tangible links to the past.