Strafgevangenis Ommerschans, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van 25 cent 1818 - 1859

This anonymous coin was minted for use in the Ommerschans penal colony, by order of the Society of Benevolence. These tokens circulated within an early 19th-century Dutch work colony, part of a wider, somewhat utopian project aimed at poverty reduction through forced labor and social engineering. These colonies sought to address issues of poverty and vagrancy, embodying a mix of philanthropy and control. The coin stands as a stark reminder of how systems of power and control have historically targeted the most vulnerable. Consider the daily existence of those who lived and labored in these environments. The coin represents a loss of autonomy, and prompts us to consider how state-sponsored initiatives can unintentionally mirror the very social injustices they seek to correct.