Zilveren koninklijke 10 € huwelijksmunt Willem-Alexander en Máxima before 2002

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the stark contrast between the two sides, a real dichotomy. Editor: Indeed. Before us is the "Zilveren koninklijke 10 € huwelijksmunt Willem-Alexander en Máxima," a silver coin crafted before 2002 by Hans van Houwelingen, to commemorate, naturally, the royal wedding. Note how it embraces the modernist style, opting for clean lines and symbolic representation over ornate detail. On one side, we observe a profile of Queen Beatrix rendered in relief, surrounded by text indicating her reign. Curator: It feels very formal, cold almost. The relief is so smooth, almost unsettlingly so. It’s as if all the imperfections, the humanness, has been polished away. Editor: Now, if you turn your attention to the reverse side, you'll observe the profiles of Willem-Alexander and Máxima facing each other, presented as silhouettes, nearly touching against the stark metallic surface. It introduces a captivating element of negative space. Above the silhouettes there is an abstract celestial sun symbol, juxtaposed with another emblem, formed by seven smaller star-like symbols. The symbolic language deployed here creates a visual field for speculation and perhaps an allegorical tension between familial royal origin and destiny. Curator: It's clever how the artist uses their profiles as outlines, turning them into a shared shape, something almost like a heart if you blur your vision a bit. It lends an air of romantic idealism, clashing in my opinion with the other, almost official side. I find it hopeful. Editor: The choice of metal as a medium lends a sense of permanence, reinforcing the symbolic weight of the occasion. The circular form—eternal. What narrative threads can be seen here about history, future, and family? Curator: Well, looking at this again, it’s less about a simple royal portrait and more about legacy, isn't it? Beatrix on one side, the next generation facing each other, about to begin a new chapter. There’s this quiet but distinct narrative tension: the weight of the past against the promise of the future, all captured within this tiny silver disc. Editor: It seems to echo traditional memento mori, yet turned instead toward dynastic promise—using similar visual means for inverted ends. Curator: It really makes you wonder about the hopes and expectations riding on their marriage, doesn’t it? And how that’s reflected in this object meant to capture that specific moment in time. Editor: Indeed, quite interesting how such a small, rigid form can contain so much symbolic speculation and national narrative.