Willem I Frederik, koning der Nederlanden 1816 - 1817

This bronze medal of Willem I Frederik, King of the Netherlands, was made by Pierre Wautier van de Goor. The medal is made using a process called striking. Dies, which are hardened metal punches engraved with the design, are used to impress the image onto a blank metal disk. The crisp details, like the king’s profile and the inscription, are a testament to the diemaker’s skill and the force of the striking process. Medals like this were often produced in multiples, functioning as tools of political messaging. By casting a leader's likeness in metal, authorities could circulate their image far and wide. But beyond its propagandistic purpose, this object also invites us to consider the labor involved in its creation. From the mining and smelting of the bronze to the engraver's painstaking work on the dies and the press operator, the medal embodies a whole chain of human effort. Recognizing this medal as the result of skilled production allows us to look beyond its face value and appreciate its wider social and economic context.