Overwinning van Karel VI op de Turken 1717

This small silver medal, commemorating Charles VI’s victory over the Turks, was made by Philippe Roëttiers. Minted objects like this one often get overlooked, yet they show us the power of materials to communicate political messages. Consider the cool gleam of the silver, its preciousness emphasizing the importance of the event it commemorates. The crisp, precise lines of the portrait and allegorical scene speak to the skilled craftsmanship of the die cutter, who would have used specialized tools to incise the design in steel. This was then used to strike the medals in large numbers. The very act of mass production, facilitated by skilled labor and industrial processes, further amplifies the message of imperial power and triumph. Each medal, identical to the last, serves as a miniature monument, a portable piece of propaganda circulating within society. It reminds us that even the smallest of objects can carry significant weight, both literally and figuratively.