Begging Badge

1618

Begging badges or 'town badges' were handed out to the genuinely needy inhabitants of a town, to distinguish them from the profiteers and foreign beggars. The badges were originally made of lead or tin and later of copper. They were worn as a pendant or sewn onto clothes. Beggars who could not show their badge were expelled from the town.

• Places and dates

  Antwerp, 1618 (Production)

• Materials

  Copper

• Category

  Insignias

• Object number

  S1582