Derde gesticht van de kolonie Veenhuizen, huismunt huismunt van twintig cent, geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid 1818 - 1859

This anonymous token of twenty cents, likely struck from copper, was commissioned by the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid for use in the Veenhuizen colony. Notice the composition: on one face, we see the inscription "3-G" enclosed in a box-like structure, under which a larger box frames "K.V." Above the number "20" the surface is punctuated by a circle. The other face of the token shows a similar arrangement of the boxed inscription and number, though with a deliberate wearing down of these graphic elements. The token's circular form, with the inscriptions it bears, functions as a system of signs, a symbolic medium, that once governed exchange within the confines of Veenhuizen. Consider how the token, in its materiality and design, challenges conventional notions of value and currency. It's a stark reminder of the power structures inherent in systems of exchange and the human cost of social engineering.