Sluiting van het drievoudige verbond tussen Engeland, Frankrijk en de Republiek 1598

This medal, commemorating the alliance between England, France, and the Dutch Republic, presents a fascinating study in miniature. Its circular form, meticulously crafted in metal, immediately suggests unity and wholeness. On one side, three shields are framed by branches, each likely representing one of the allied nations. The composition is dense, reflecting the complex political landscape of the time. This side is dedicated to God, marked with the inscription ‘Deo’. The shields have a heraldic quality, each a codified symbol carrying layers of historical and cultural meaning, reflecting the need for each country to protect its own legacy. On the reverse, the faces, in a circular pattern, perhaps symbolize the leaders of the alliance. The inscriptions surrounding this central image reinforce the medal's purpose: to immortalize the ‘Sluiting van het Drievoudige Verbond’ (The Conclusion of the Triple Alliance). The medal thus acts not merely as an object of commemoration but as a semiotic device.