Stichting van een armenhuis te Brussel, rekenpenning geslagen ter ere van Maria Elisabeth, landvoogdes der zuidelijke Nederlanden 1734

Curator: This fascinating medal, dating from 1734, was designed by Jacques Roëttiers. It commemorates the founding of an almshouse in Brussels by Maria Elisabeth, who governed the Southern Netherlands. The medal's made of metal, and you can see it presents a very austere beauty, almost severe. Editor: It strikes me as something handled often, smoothed by the touch of generations, the kind of object that carries history, quite literally, in its very wear and tear. Almost a token passed from hand to hand through a lineage. What’s the feel you get from it? Curator: I think of a coin whispering stories. On one side is Maria Elisabeth in profile, dignified, the inscription around her suggests peace and study under her rule. The other side depicts the actual almshouse foundation. Look at the small crowd gathered; you feel the significance of the event for those citizens. Editor: Absolutely. You have the figurehead, then you have the project or what flows from the patron’s support. The medal gives a sense of her tangible involvement. I'm intrigued by how medals and coins of this period bridge "high" portraiture with social documents reflecting tangible effects of political economy. Who knew a simple coin can whisper this much? Curator: The very act of minting this medal transforms philanthropy into propaganda, doesn't it? But then I wonder if those benefiting from the almshouse saw it more as symbol of genuine support and care from their ruler. Editor: True enough. Consider how the medal's creation itself was an economic act involving labor, resource extraction, design and the work put into the minting itself; those were local jobs. It serves multiple purposes and economies at once. Curator: So it is much more than simply a token. Fascinating to reflect upon these overlapping dimensions and roles. Editor: Indeed; a miniature mirror reflecting both an individual's gesture and its societal impact and footprint.