Aankomst van baron Van Imhoff, gouverneur van Nederlands Oost Indië, aan Kaap de Goede Hoop 1743 1743

This silver medal was made in 1743 by Martin Holtzhey, and commemorates the arrival of Baron Van Imhoff as governor of the Dutch East Indies at the Cape of Good Hope. Medals like these were struck using dies, or hardened metal stamps. The process involved a significant investment of labor and skill to produce the dies, and required a screw press capable of applying immense pressure. Because the metal is effectively squeezed into shape, the resulting image is crisply defined. Consider the fine details of Van Imhoff's hair, and the allegorical figure of Justice on the reverse, complete with scales. The production of such a medal was no small undertaking. It reflects the expansion of global trade in the 18th century, and the Dutch Republic's prominent role in it. Though small in scale, this medal stands as a testament to the material culture of commerce, and the complex social and political structures that underpinned it.