Vijfentwintigste verjaardag van Prinses Juliana 1934 1934

Jacob Jan van Goor cast this medal in 1934 to celebrate Princess Juliana's twenty-fifth birthday. It's interesting to think about how a portrait, especially one on a coin, tries to capture a person. The surface has this cool, almost bronze feel, but it's not just smooth, right? You can see the marks, the way the metal was worked to create depth and shadow. Look at the delicate lines around her face, they give it life. It's like the artist is trying to show not just what she looked like, but maybe something about her character too. Medals like this one were often about power and permanence, but you also see a human element in van Goor’s process. Looking at this, I’m reminded of those Renaissance portrait medals, the way they tried to immortalize people in metal. It feels like van Goor is joining that conversation, but with a modern eye.