Schutterij van Utrecht, penning die schutters recht gaf op een kan wijn 1661

Editor: So this is a "Schutterij van Utrecht," a medal from 1661 that allowed the civic guards to receive their ration of wine. The material degradation speaks to its age. What strikes me is how it connects defense to, well, drink. What can you tell me about this medal? Curator: The material production of this object speaks volumes. Consider the act of striking this metal coin, likely from silver or a base alloy. The inscription declares "a ration," but this isn't simply a transaction. It's about communal resources and social function tied to consumption and civic duty. How do the visual motifs reinforce the relationship between these guard members and material comforts of having such rations? Editor: Well, on one side there's a coat of arms flanked by lions. The other shows weapons, but also what looks like grapevines above a drinking vessel... linking protection to prosperity and reward? Is it about their compensation? Curator: Precisely! These coins represent a social contract – the *means of compensation* for services rendered, manifested in material form. Look at the engraving quality: was this mass produced? Probably. It raises a crucial question, do we see craft reduced into functional mass-production or more? How might examining the distribution of these wine tokens shed light on Utrecht’s economic structure in 1661? It implies the social organization was efficient enough to guarantee guards be supplied. Editor: That's fascinating. It wasn’t just about honoring service, it was materially embedding the civic guard into Utrecht's economy. A physical, tangible promise. Curator: Indeed! Examining this token, then, reveals the socio-economic underpinnings of 17th-century Utrecht. I am particularly fascinated by its double meaning. Editor: Now I understand, it's more than just an artwork – it is the artifactual reminder of a whole social arrangement and set of priorities made physical.