Korenmeters- en -zettersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Hendrik Gaikhorst 1780

This small guild token was made by an anonymous artist in Amsterdam in 1780. The token materializes the structures of class and labor that defined Amsterdam's Golden Age. One side of the token bears the name of the guild: "Korenmeters- en -zettersgilde," or the Guild of Grain Measurers and Setters, while the other is inscribed with "Hendrik Gaikhorst den 3 Juny 1780." In a time before standardized weights and measures, these guilds played a crucial role in ensuring fair trade. They were powerful economic bodies, and also social structures through which a tradesman's identity would be formed and regulated. Consider the lives of workers like Hendrik Gaikhorst within this system. Guild membership offered protection and status but also enforced strict hierarchies and limited opportunities for those outside its ranks. This token serves as a reminder of the intricate web of labor, identity, and belonging.