Marten Hendrik Lohse, aangesteld als muntmeester van de munt van Gelderland en Zutphen 1782

This silver medal, just under 4cm in diameter, was made by Marten Hendrik Lohse, who lived from 1776 to 1802. As the inscription on one side tells us, it commemorates Lohse’s appointment as master of the mint of Gelderland and Zutphen. The other side presents a personification of Justice, complete with scales. Think about the specialized skill that would have been required to cut these intricate designs into dies. These would then be used to strike the coins, each hammer-blow a forceful impression of state power and fiscal control. The very material speaks to the medal’s purpose: silver is valuable, and the act of stamping it with an official mark only increases its worth. In a sense, this medal collapses the distinction between art, craft, and the everyday. It’s all about the flow of capital, which depends on careful making.