Vijfentwintigjarig huwelijk van Joan Osy, heer van Palesteyn en Zegwaard en Petronella van Wevelinchoven 1768

This silver medal was designed to commemorate the 25th wedding anniversary of Joan Osy, Lord of Palesteyn en Zegwaard, and Petronella van Wevelinchoven. Theodorus Victor van Berckel produced it sometime between 1764 and 1808 in the Netherlands. These types of commemorative medals were quite popular among the Dutch elite during the 18th century as symbols of personal status and familial pride. The detailed coat of arms and inscription on the medal are visual declarations of the couple's lineage, social standing, and the significance of their union within their community. The landscape on the medal is likely a reference to the couple's estate. Understanding this artwork requires knowledge of Dutch social history, the conventions of heraldry, and the economic structures that supported elite patronage. By exploring archival records, genealogical databases, and period literature, we can recover the medal's value as a cultural artifact that speaks volumes about power, family, and memory in the 18th-century Dutch Republic.