Hollandse bezemstuiver, 1738 1738

This is a Hollandse Bezemstuiver coin, made in 1738 by the province of Holland. On one side, we see the word ‘Hollandia,’ and on the other, a complex symbol: what appears to be a broom, or ‘bezem’ in Dutch, surrounded by intricate patterns. The broom might seem like a simple object, yet it carries potent symbolism. Historically, brooms were not merely tools for cleanliness, but emblems of purification and renewal. Think of the medieval witches and their broomsticks, tools to sweep away the old and usher in the new. Across time, we see this motif recurring. In ancient rituals, sweeping was a way to cleanse sacred spaces. The broom, therefore, transcends its mundane purpose, evolving into a symbol of change, transformation, and the perpetual cycle of clearing the path for what’s to come. The enduring presence of these symbols, embedded in our cultural memory, engages us on a subconscious level. The broom continues to sweep through our collective consciousness, a testament to the non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols, resurfacing and evolving through history.