Dood van Johan van Oldenbarnevelt 1684 - 1693

This is a silver medal, made by Jan Smeltzing sometime around the late 17th century. The process of minting coins has always been intimately tied to power. The act of striking a metal, imbuing it with symbolic value, goes back to the very origins of capitalism. Though it has a commemorative function, this particular medal also resembles small change: it's about the size and weight of a few coins. The two sides speak to the death of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. One side bears his portrait, the other an inscription. The incised lettering and relief of the portrait indicate that it was likely created with a die, using significant force to impress the image onto the metal. Consider the labor involved in the mining of silver, the smelting of the metal, and the artistry required to create the die. By attending to these material facts, we can understand this medal not just as a commemorative object, but as a product of material culture, embedded in a complex web of social and economic relations.