Honderdenvijftigjarig jubileum van het boekverkopers- en -drukkersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van commissaris Hendrik Gartman 1812

This gilded silver medal commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Amsterdam booksellers and printers guild, and was commissioned by Hendrik Gartman in 1872. On one side, the Amsterdam coat of arms, complete with lions and crown, hovers above an inscription detailing the guild's anniversary. The other side shows Mercury, the Roman god of trade, standing above printing blocks, with a printing press and ink pot alongside him. The guild system played an important role in the economic and social life of the Netherlands from the medieval period onwards, regulating production, setting standards of quality, and providing a social safety net for its members. The booksellers and printers guild, in particular, was central to the cultural and intellectual life of Amsterdam, a major centre of publishing and the free press in Europe. Looking at the history of these institutions – the conditions of their creation, their internal structures, and their place in the wider economy – is essential to understanding the art and culture of the Dutch Golden Age.