Derde gesticht van de strafkolonie Veenhuizen, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van tien cent 1818 - 1859

This small, circular, lead token, created by an anonymous artist, was part of a system of currency used in the penal colony of Veenhuizen, Netherlands, from 1818-1859. The token, which is on display at the Rijksmuseum, bears the inscription “M.V.W. 10.C.C”, which stands for Maatschappij van Weldadigheid, the charitable organization that ran the colony. The token is an example of how the colony functioned as a self-sufficient community, with its own currency.