Gelderse oord van Philips II, 1589 1589

Curator: Oh, there's something intensely melancholic about this coin, don't you think? Like a lost memory pressed into metal. Editor: It's a Gelderse oord of Philip II, minted in 1589. Interesting as it presents a lot about production during the Renaissance: they probably used a metal die for the engraving on this piece. It also tells a broader narrative of material production and colonial reach at the time. Curator: The Italian Renaissance touch is visible here, although not so subtle, if you look into it… that austere profile, crowned, ringed by inscription – like a whispered claim of power. The tiny scale intensifies it. Editor: Precisely! Think about the mining, refining, the labour of engraving such detail on something so small, then its function in circulation... This wasn't just about aesthetic expression. It supported military and state endeavors. Curator: I suppose what fascinates me is the intimate connection a person would have had with this. Holding it, trading it… imagining what stories it could tell. A humble everyday object turned artwork, a relic of human ambition. Editor: Absolutely! Consider how this little metal disc became a tool in forging history through material connections of extraction, distribution and accumulation. Curator: And it’s so tactile, isn't it? One imagines the cold weight in one's palm and how each piece, even nearly identical pieces, might tell different stories of those holdings. Editor: The more you contemplate an artwork such as this the more clear its complexity and material influence comes into focus, highlighting how connected economy, power and the very material used to spread both were throughout the Renaissance and even to this day. Curator: Exactly! Every piece has its own journey and now is held inside this art gallery. Editor: That's true, there is value into rethinking artworks to incorporate aspects of manufacture, consumption and economics. Thanks! Curator: Agreed! My pleasure!