Vrede van Parijs en erkenning van de onafhankelijkheid van de Verenigde Staten van Amerika 1783

This silver medal was crafted by Johann Leonhard Öxlein to commemorate the Peace of Paris and the recognition of the United States' independence. The medal's composition is divided into two distinct scenes, each contained within the circular form, creating a visual dialogue. On one side, we see a figure of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, standing beside a pile of shields. The reverse depicts figures symbolizing America and Europe with a column between them. The use of relief carving is designed to emphasize the texture and three-dimensionality of the figures and objects. The medal uses both classical imagery and semiotic codes to legitimize the burgeoning American state. Consider the choice of allegorical figures rather than portraits of actual diplomats. This elevation to a classical, almost mythical level, serves to ennoble the event and imbue it with timeless significance. This medal serves not just as a historical marker but as a symbolic representation of power, negotiation, and the construction of national identity.