Halve crown, noodmunt van Karel I, koning van Engeland te Ormond geslagen van het door de ingezetenen opgebrachte zilver 1643

This ‘halve crown’ was struck in Ormond, Ireland, during the reign of Charles the First, from silver contributed by local residents. The crudeness of the coin tells us a lot about its historical moment. When royalist forces were cut off during the English Civil War, this silver currency was hammered rather than properly minted, it embodies a kind of desperation. The raw material speaks of this social context, and the lack of the usual aesthetic refinement is striking, especially given that it bears the symbols of the monarchy. The roughly formed lettering and the slightly irregular edge of the coin are evidence of the sheer labor required for its making. This was not about high art. This was about keeping an economy afloat during wartime. It serves as a reminder that even the humblest object can reflect intense social and political pressure.