Nederlandse cent, 1875 1875

Curator: Here we have a Dutch Cent from 1875, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. It’s a bronze coin featuring the profile of King Willem III. Editor: Immediately striking, isn’t it? The stark simplicity… it feels almost confrontational, that large "W" dominates the space. You can almost feel the weight of the monarchy pressing down. Curator: Indeed. The materiality is essential to its function, obviously. Bronze allowed for mass production and daily circulation; imagine how many hands this object passed through. What socio-economic stories it could tell us! Editor: Absolutely. We also can’t ignore the obvious visual language of power—the crown looming over that bold, singular initial of Willem’s name. The implied message? A divinely ordained right to rule and extract labor and resources. The year, 1875, marked by rapid industrial expansion and all that came with that. Curator: Exactly! It prompts one to ask about labor. The striking of these coins meant an intensification of existing manufacturing processes in an industrializing Netherlands. Were they outsourced to colonized nations, impacting global markets? What was the role of technology? Editor: Or, we might examine labor’s other end; we should acknowledge the lived experience for average Dutch citizens. Imagine someone toiling in factories or on land, clutching this very cent… it's an object connecting them directly, though perhaps abstractly, to the royal power structure. How that connection was perceived would shift with one's social position, of course. Curator: Fascinating, considering even the formal construction—this circular format. What techniques were necessary to imprint that precise lettering into the resistant bronze itself? And what effect would it have in pockets among the other coins of the time. Editor: It’s a stark reminder of the material inequalities intrinsic to wealth concentration during Dutch colonial and imperial activities. To think about each cent like this is so impactful. Curator: Examining its production and function makes you look at global power. A potent example of the small but meaningful material presence that wealth accumulation took in 19th century Europe. Editor: Agreed, it encourages an investigation beyond Willem’s symbolic portrait, acknowledging those whose struggles helped form his reign.