Derde eeuwfeest van de inname van Den Briel, penning uitgegeven door de feestcommissie van Amsterdam 1872

This small medal was made by Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion to commemorate the third centennial of the capture of Den Briel. Produced by the festivities committee in Amsterdam, this medal is an example of the ways in which civic institutions shaped public memory. The image creates meaning through a symbolic lion, referencing the Dutch Republic, surrounded by text that praises God for the victory and the celebration it commemorates. The other side has text in the center that translates to "Freedom is Won" surrounded by laurel leaves. Made in the Netherlands, this piece of memorabilia reminds us of the importance of history and national pride. The event, in which the Protestant Dutch successfully took Den Briel from the Catholic Spanish, was foundational to Dutch independence. This is a clear indication of the values of the rising bourgeois class in the Dutch Republic at the time. Further study into the archives of the Amsterdam festivities committee, as well as other medals and memorabilia, would give us a better understanding of how national identity was formed and celebrated.