Strafgevangenis Ommerschans, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van vijf cent 1818 - 1859

Editor: Here we have a peculiar object: a house coin dating from 1818 to 1859, made for the Ommerschans penal colony. I'm struck by how simple and worn it looks. What's your take on this unusual piece? Curator: Intriguing, isn’t it? Let's consider its intrinsic qualities. The circular form, the rough texture of the metal, the raised lettering: "OS" on one side and the numeral "5" on the other. The deliberate crudeness of the design emphasizes its functionality. It served as a substitute for official currency within a controlled environment. Do you see how its materiality speaks to its purpose? Editor: I do. It's not trying to be beautiful; it's purely utilitarian. Is the relief important? Curator: Absolutely. The low relief, almost flush with the surface, contributes to its robustness. It would have been difficult to counterfeit or damage significantly. The restricted set of forms–circles, basic letterforms–mirrors the limited possibilities of the environment in which it circulated. Editor: So, it's a form reflecting function and circumstance, stripped to its essentials. It tells a story, even without depicting one. Curator: Precisely. The starkness of the piece directs our attention to the inherent relationship between its form and its historical context. The anonymous authorship further underscores that the object is purely functional. Its semiotic value resides in the representation of the monetary system that served to control the prisoners. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way, about the function informing the aesthetic or lack thereof. I'll definitely be thinking more about how function impacts form. Curator: Likewise, seeing it through your eyes, I realize the historical conditions created unique, if austere, objects with unintentional artistic merit.