Strooipenning bij de inhuldiging van Willem Frederik, prins van Oranje als souverein vorst, 1814 1814

Curator: This engraving from 1814 depicts a "Strooipenning" or scattering coin, created for the inauguration of Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange, as sovereign prince. Editor: My immediate thought is how much this little image reveals about power—in a way that seems so calculated, even cold. You have the stern profile of the prince on one side, inscriptions squeezed around both. What's its significance? Curator: It served as a commemorative token distributed during Willem Frederik's inauguration, which took place after the end of French rule. These coins were literally scattered among the crowds, as a symbol of the prince's generosity and, of course, the return of Dutch sovereignty. The print reproduces images of each side of the coin. Editor: So, mass production for the sake of manufactured consent, perhaps? You can really see the pressure that shaped the coin; you could see the pressure to produce a unified national identity out of diverse materials in the inscription itself! "Geruildigd Te Amsterdam MDCCCXIV". Inaugurated at Amsterdam 1814. Curator: Exactly! This Strooipenning visually reinforces that narrative, using the visual language of Neoclassicism to link the new monarch with the virtues and legitimacy of the past. Note the idealized, almost Roman portrait style, designed to project an image of strength and stability. Editor: The very act of striking the coin also strikes me. Consider all the labour, and the specific materials involved - how far they travelled to even exist. Then there’s the process of distribution itself - turning commoners into literal coin-collectors on the streets. A calculated display of wealth intended to solidify political power, by way of the materials produced by human labour. Curator: It's a fascinating object. The Neoclassical style connects to the past while it legitimizes the present. The inscription serves to cement a specific vision of the Netherlands. And these prints would help disseminate that imagery further and faster! It really is about constructing a national story and carefully controlling its telling. Editor: Absolutely. Studying an artwork like this, we are offered insights into production, consumption, labour and value that tell stories reaching beyond the visual. Looking at this print really has provided so much more information to process!