Afkondiging van de vrede, rekenpenning ten behoeve van Mr. Vincent Dammasz., klerk-ordinaris van de rekenkamer van Holland te 's-Gravenhage 1548

Editor: Here we have a rather diminutive bronze object—a medal actually, commemorating the Proclamation of Peace in 1548. It was created to honor Vincent Dammasz., who worked in the treasury at The Hague. The artist, alas, is anonymous. The details are a little difficult to make out, aren't they? I wonder what someone more knowledgeable sees in this little coin. Curator: Well, you’re right, it's hardly going to knock your socks off with vibrant color, is it? It is not very big at all. And being bronze, of course, it's patinated and dark. But I think the darkness adds to its power because it feels very old and almost buried. I love thinking about how something small could travel across the ocean for some reason. Do you see the horse and rider? Editor: Now that you point it out, yes. There's someone on horseback. Curator: I love that somebody saw fit to make something like this for…what was his name? Dammasz? This seemingly very specific guy who’s easy to forget. It’s a testament to someone who saw history as personal. The tiny-ness and weight add a tactile connection to history, doesn’t it? I want to feel it. Editor: I never would have thought of it like that. It definitely feels more important when you phrase it as something "personal" or with historical significance, rather than "a tiny bronze coin". Curator: Exactly! It’s not *just* a tiny coin! That’s the trick with history, I think. Editor: I think I will carry this knowledge on. I will no longer assume something is not important solely based on how little of it there is. Thank you.