Cholera-commissie te Amsterdam, ter ere van de wijkmeesters, wegens bewezendiensten 1832

This bronze medal was created by Johannes Petrus Schouberg in Amsterdam to honor district masters for their services during a cholera outbreak. The medal's design features a coat of arms flanked by lions, surrounded by text indicating the commission and purpose. Turning it over, you can see the reverse is inscribed with a dedication. The making of such a medal would have involved die-striking, a process where the design is engraved into steel dies, which are then used to impress the image onto a metal blank under high pressure. Bronze, being a durable and relatively inexpensive material, was often chosen for commemorative objects. Mass production techniques in metalworking made it possible to distribute these tokens widely, acknowledging the contributions of individuals during a public health crisis. Examining this medal reminds us that even seemingly small objects can carry significant cultural and social weight, reflecting both artistic skill and the recognition of labor in times of adversity.