Huwelijk van Willem V met Wilhelmina Frederica Sophia van Pruisen te Berlijn 1767

This is a silver medal, made to commemorate the marriage of Willem V to Wilhelmina Frederica Sophia of Prussia. Johan George Holtzhey designed it. Its small scale speaks to its purpose: to be distributed widely. Silver is a relatively precious material, but the medal's value lies more in its design and the skilled labor required to produce it. Notice the crispness of the lettering, and the fine detail in the portraits and allegorical figures. This was achieved using a steel die, a technology that permitted the relatively efficient reproduction of intricate designs on a mass scale. The medal's social significance is clear. It's a piece of political communication, intended to broadcast the importance of this dynastic union, and the power of the House of Orange. Yet the medal is also a testament to the skills of the die cutter, a craftsperson whose work was essential to the circulation of such imagery. By appreciating the labor involved, we can see this marriage medal as more than just a symbol of power.