kwart taler; een eenheid, noodmunt uit Frankenthal, geslagen tijdens het beleg door Verdugo 1623

This emergency coin, known as 'kwart taler', was made anonymously in Frankenthal during Verdugo's siege. Its square shape immediately distinguishes it from conventional round coinage, suggesting a radical departure from established norms of value and exchange. The metallic surface, worn and aged, presents a tactile and visual texture that speaks to its tumultuous history. The stamped designs—a central triangular motif encircled by lettering—are rendered with a raw, almost brutal directness. The triangle, possibly a religious symbol, challenges fixed meanings when combined with the surrounding text and the coin’s unorthodox form. The square form destabilizes traditional understanding by departing from the norm. The coin's materiality and design reflect a society under pressure, where even the most basic forms of currency are imbued with new and contested meanings. It serves as a potent reminder that art and value are often forged in the crucible of historical and philosophical change.