Eed van Leopold van Saksen-Coburg op de constitutie 1831

This silver medal commemorates Leopold of Saxe-Coburg's oath to the constitution as the first King of the Belgians. It reflects the turbulent birth of Belgium as a nation. The medal references the new constitution, ratified on July 21st, 1831, following the Belgian Revolution and separation from the Netherlands. The inscription on the reverse celebrates Leopold’s election by the representatives of the nation. The design, though simple, is a powerful symbol of the transition from monarchy towards a more constitutional and representative system. As a historian, I'm interested in how such objects shape national identity and collective memory. To fully understand this medal, I'd delve into the archives of the Belgian monarchy, scrutinize the political pamphlets of the era, and study the iconography of early Belgian nationalism. By doing so, we can better understand how this small object reflects the grand narratives of nation-building and political change.