Honderdjarige herdenking van de Vrede van Munster 1748 1748

This uniface silver medal commemorating the centenary of the Peace of Munster was made by Martin Holtzhey in 1748. Minted to celebrate an important political event, it reminds us that objects have always played a role in shaping collective memory. The cool-toned silver has been cast, and then stamped to create relief images on the coin. The fine detail achieved through this production process speaks to Holtzhey’s skill as a medalist, and to the value placed on commemorative objects in the 18th century. The coin depicts Peace kneeling before an altar, a cornucopia at her feet, and winged Mercury crowning her with laurel. These motifs tell us something of the politics of this time. The silver from which it’s made, would have been mined, traded, and then painstakingly worked by skilled artisans. A far cry from our contemporary methods of mass production. The medal serves as a reminder that the value of an object lies not only in its aesthetic qualities, but also in the story of its making, and the cultural values it represents.