Verheffing van de prins van Oranje tot stadhouder door de Staten van Holland 1747

This silver medal by Nicolaas van Swinderen commemorates the elevation of the Prince of Orange in 1747. On its reverse, we see a lion, the embodiment of Dutch courage, standing defiant. He wields a sword, poised to defend, while trampling a bundle of arrows, symbolizing the fragmented provinces now united under his rule. The lion motif extends far beyond this medal, echoing in heraldry and art across millennia. From the ancient Near East, where lions guarded temples, to medieval Europe, where they signified royal power, this beast resonates with strength. The sword, too, speaks of justice and authority. It appears in countless depictions of rulers and saints, carrying layers of cultural memory. Consider the potency of symbols. They trigger deep-seated emotions and connect us to ancestral memories, subtly shaping our perceptions and stirring subconscious associations. And so the lion persists, a potent emblem continuously reborn in shifting contexts.