Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
Collector's Choice October 2021 Auction 12-14 Oct 2021
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The obverse of this type-featuring a figure of Death along with an hourglass-is an allusion to the transient nature of life and, as such, a memento mori. It was used in Amsterdam as a token of one's membership into the guild of surgeons. Meanwhile, the reverse refers to the city's medicinal garden-the so-called hortus medicus-which housed various flora that could be used medicinally. Following the fallout of the plagues that had gripped Europe, along with portions of the rest of the world, the understanding and cultivation of plant-based remedies began to take form, with this garden serving in that role. The bearer of such a token would also have access to these grounds to make use of the plants grown.
Estimate: $300 - $450