Anna tot koningin van Engeland gekozen 1702

This silver medal, made by John Croker, commemorates Anne's rise to Queen of England. The material, silver, speaks of power, wealth, and permanence. The smooth, cool metal was stamped with dies to create the Queen's effigy and symbolic imagery. The process of die-striking is crucial here. The silver would have been carefully alloyed for durability, then heated and hammered into a thin sheet. The design, deeply engraved into steel dies, would have been pressed onto the silver with great force, leaving a precise, raised impression. The medal's small size and the fineness of detail speak to the skill of the die-cutter, and the machinery used to strike it. This wasn't simply an artistic exercise, but a form of propaganda, a way to disseminate the image and authority of the monarch. These medals, produced in multiples, would have circulated among the elite, reinforcing social hierarchies. It’s a demonstration of the power of the modern state, using industrial methods to create a potent symbol. It blurs lines between art, craft, industry, and political power.