Eerste gesticht van de strafkolonie Veenhuizen, huismunt geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van ½ cent 1818 - 1859

This is a huismunt, or house coin, struck for the penal colony of Veenhuizen. The letters ‘M.V.W.’ stand for Maatschappij van Weldadigheid, the Society of Charity, and indicate its value as half a cent. On the reverse, ‘V1’ likely stands for Veenhuizen 1, the first colony established by the Society. The act of stamping an image or symbol onto metal to create currency carries profound weight. In ancient Greece, the owl of Athena on Athenian coins symbolized wisdom and control. Here, the stark letters and numerals denote a controlled environment, one where even currency is regimented. The symbols of the 'V1' remind us of the brandings and symbolic representations of power such as those used by monarchies over centuries. Consider how symbols evolve; a Roman emperor's profile on a coin, now, these letters on a token from a Dutch penal colony, all tools to define and exert authority. It is an emotional and psychological imprint, reminding the holder of their place within the colony. These tokens are stark reminders of human agency and the symbols we create to govern ourselves.