Zeeslag bij Kaap La Hogue, de Fransen verslagen door de vloot van Engeland en Holland 1692

This silver medal, commemorating the Battle of La Hogue, was created by Philipp Heinrich Müller. The medal’s small scale speaks volumes about its purpose. It was likely produced in multiples, perhaps even distributed to soldiers or used as a form of currency. The sharp details in the imagery such as the figures of gods, ships, and crests were achieved by the use of specialized metalworking tools. The material itself, silver, would have been mined, smelted, and refined, each step involving considerable labor. The medal can be seen as an embodiment of early capitalist enterprise, linking extraction, production, and distribution in a tangible form. In the context of the late 17th century, the medal served as a tool for nationalistic messaging. The medal’s silver material, detailed craftsmanship, and circulation, all speak to the intertwining of art, politics, and economics.