Aanvang van het jaar 1766 1766

This silver medal, crafted in 1766 by Johan George Holtzhey, commemorates the start of the year. Observe the figures that occupy the coin’s face: a woman symbolizing "Germania," attended by cherubic figures. The column next to her is a potent symbol, one reminiscent of classical antiquity, representing strength and stability. The woman embodies the nation, Germania, not just as a geographical entity but as an idea, a mother figure nurturing her people. Such personifications hearken back to ancient Roman coins, where abstract concepts like "Pax" or "Concordia" were given human form. Turn the coin and notice the seated female figure, this time holding a staff and seated next to a bundle of sticks. This may be seen as an echo of the ancient Roman goddess Fortuna, or perhaps an embodiment of 'Justice,' a symbol of civic virtue. The iconography of national personification, borrowed from antiquity, is not merely a stylistic choice but a strategic invocation of historical legitimacy. It suggests a lineage stretching back to the classical world, lending weight and authority to contemporary powers. The act of remembrance embedded in these images creates a continuity, a sense of cyclical return, as symbols resurface, evolve, and accrue new layers of meaning across time.