Derde gesticht van de kolonie Veenhuizen, huismunt van veertig cent, geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid ter waarde van 40 cent 1818 - 1859

Editor: This is "Derde gesticht van de kolonie Veenhuizen," a house coin from Veenhuizen Colony worth 40 cents, minted between 1818 and 1859. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. It seems so unassuming, almost worn, and the images are quite basic. How would you interpret its significance? Curator: The very plainness speaks volumes. Look at how the stamping of symbols directly into the metal gives an immediacy to the piece. The use of the initials suggests institutional power— the "Maatschappij van Weldadigheid". Editor: What do the initials represent, symbolically? What emotions or memories would they evoke? Curator: Consider the historical context. Veenhuizen was essentially a workhouse colony. So these coins weren't symbols of wealth, but of something closer to controlled subsistence. "3-G" on the front might denote Third Institution and "K-V" Kolonie Veenhuizen, linking it back to a system, a social structure. Even currency becomes a coded reminder of their place. The '40' stamped beneath it represents only partial, not full, value. Does it give you pause to see it this way? Editor: Absolutely, it changes everything. It's less about simple exchange and more about control, about branding people and limiting them to the societal role expected of them. It brings a sad context to what initially appeared a common object. Curator: Precisely. We can also consider that these are items used by people largely erased from conventional histories. Editor: So even a small coin like this carries immense cultural and historical weight, if you know how to look at it. Thanks for that insight. Curator: My pleasure. Symbols often hide more than they reveal at first glance.