Verblijf van Willem V en Wilhelmina van Pruisen te Amsterdam 1768

This silver medal commemorates Willem V and Wilhelmina of Prussia's stay in Amsterdam. The radiant sun and crescent moon above the tree are symbols of duality—light and dark, beginning and end, life and death. This pairing reminds us of the ancient Greek Artemis, associated with the moon, and Apollo, god of the sun. Consider how the caduceus, entwined snakes around a staff, weaves through history. From its roots as a symbol of commerce and negotiation in antiquity, it appears in the modern era appropriated as a symbol of medicine, though erroneously replacing the rod of Asclepius with only one snake. Such shifts highlight the power of symbols to evolve, their meanings transformed by collective memory and cultural narratives. The emotional resonance of these symbols is potent. Viewers, often subconsciously, recognize archetypes of order and chaos, health and healing, engaging with these images on a profound level that transcends conscious understanding. We see, then, not a linear progression, but a cyclical return, a continuous reimagining of symbols that continue to shape our collective psyche.