Overijsselse bezemstuiver, 1628 1628

Editor: So, here we have an "Overijsselse bezemstuiver" from 1628, crafted from metal. It's a small coin, and there's something inherently aged and worn about it, almost like it has a history etched onto its surface. What do you see when you look at this coin? Curator: I see a tangible link to a specific time and place, but more than that, I see the imprints of power dynamics. Who controlled the mint? Whose faces or symbols were deemed worthy of circulation? Coinage is never neutral; it is a carefully curated expression of sovereignty. In 1628, who would have been using this coin, and what systems of exchange were they participating in? Editor: That’s a very different way of considering money. I tend to think of coins more in terms of trade. Curator: Precisely. Trade is key. But who benefited from that trade, and who was exploited? What social hierarchies were reinforced through these monetary transactions? Consider, for example, if we could analyze the chemical composition of this coin – could it tell us anything about the origins of the metal and potentially illuminate colonial extraction practices? Editor: That’s fascinating! I never thought about tracing a coin back to the literal ground it came from to unveil something about those historical structures. How much does the province of Overijssel at the time have to do with it? Curator: The province itself held complex power dynamics; localized governance wrestling with larger Dutch identities and colonial ambitions. The imagery and language employed on the coin is far more than simply local identifiers; it’s an active declaration of their positioning within that complicated web. Who controlled this imagery is a reflection of their position within that power dynamic. Editor: Wow, it is much more layered and complex than I first thought. I will never see an old coin the same way. Curator: Hopefully, you’ll see everyday objects through new critical lenses now. We should constantly be interrogating the stories these artifacts tell and, more importantly, the stories they conceal.