's-Hertogenbosch, vroedschapspenning op de vrede van Aken 1748

This silver medal, commemorating the Peace of Aachen, was created by Theodorus Everardus van Berckel. The die-struck medal features crisp imagery. On one side is Mars, the god of war, extinguishing a torch over a cityscape, while the other depicts a personification of peace with a cornucopia, set against an armorial shield. These would have been created using a labor-intensive process, where a skilled die cutter engraved the design into a metal die. Blanks would have been cut and weighed to ensure the correct amount of silver in each medal. These were then placed between the dies and struck with a hammer or screw press. The material itself, silver, carries its own weight of historical meaning, often associated with trade and power. Medals such as these were not simply artworks, but also political tools, intended to circulate a message of civic pride. While small in scale, this object reflects broader issues of labor, trade, and politics in 18th century Europe. Appreciating the medal's materiality and means of production allows us to understand its place at the intersection of art, craft, and society.