Pieter Du Pree, meester catechisatie, penning door de regenten van het armenweeshuis te Leiden vereerd 1800

This silver medal was produced anonymously in Leiden, commemorating Pieter Du Pree's work at the local poorhouse orphanage. The practice of striking medals has a fascinating history, a crossover point between sculpture, jewelry, and currency. This example would have been made through a process of die-striking. This means that a craftsman would have engraved a mirror image of the design into a hardened steel die, which was then used to impress the image onto the silver blank. The sharp, precise lettering and the delicate border detail speak to the skill involved. As a multiple object made in silver, a precious material, the medal speaks to both the economic and social status of the person being honored, and also to the financial status of the orphanage itself. It is interesting to consider how even seemingly straightforward objects like this one can reveal so much about social structures and the value we place on labor.