Passement- en lintwerkersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Michiel Hubert 1766

This is a guild penny made in Amsterdam for Michiel Hubert, a member of the Passement and Lintwerkersgilde, or trimming and braid makers guild. It’s made of brass, likely cast in a mold. The penny would have been carried by Hubert as a symbol of his membership and status. The material itself is humble, but the penny represents something far more significant. The guild system was critical to early capitalism. Craftspeople gained legal protection, established standards of quality, and secured their place in the economy. The tools depicted are very telling: scissors, a bobbin, and other specialized instruments. These are not traditional art materials, but instead speak directly to the work done by Hubert and his fellow guild members. This penny reminds us that even small, functional objects can carry immense cultural weight. It invites us to consider the lives and labor of those who made the decorative elements that so enriched early modern life.