Verslaan van de Spaanse vloot bij kaap Passaro 1718

This medal, commemorating the defeat of the Spanish fleet, was made by John Croker around 1718, likely in silver. The process of minting coins and medals like this one was highly specialized, requiring skilled die cutters to create the incised design, and then sophisticated machinery to strike the metal. Notice the crispness of the image, the way that the artist has managed to convey so much detail in a very shallow relief. The material speaks to power: silver has always been associated with wealth and status. But it also speaks to the labor involved. Think of the miners extracting the ore, the smelters refining it, the artisans shaping it. All that work, ultimately, to create a token celebrating a victory in a conflict largely driven by trade and colonial ambitions. When you look at this medal, you're not just seeing a historical event; you're also seeing the material traces of an economic system.