Aanvang van het jaar 1747, op het verbreken van het Barriere-verdrag door de Fransen en op de hoop op vrede 1746

This silver medal was made by Martin Holtzhey in 1747, at a time of great political tension. Minting coins and medals was a highly skilled activity, involving not only metallurgy but also the art of die-making. This medal commemorates the breaking of the Barrier Treaty by the French. The very materiality of the silver speaks to the complex relationships between politics, labor, and consumption. On one side, we see a female figure, symbolizing the United Netherlands, standing defiantly as a lion rests beside her, sword in paw. On the other side, a figure kneels before an altar, praying for deliverance. The inscriptions underscore the medal's purpose: to mark the beginning of 1747 and to express hope for peace amidst conflict. The act of minting such a medal involved considerable labor, from the mining of the silver to the intricate engraving of the dies. This medal shows us how artistry and craft were intertwined with the political and social issues of the time.