Vijfentwintigjarige huwelijk van Sijmon Ooms en Geertje Blok, penning vereerd aan Cornelia Blok 1708

This silver medal commemorates the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of Sijmon Ooms and Geertje Blok. The piece seems to be made by an anonymous artist, sometime in the 1600s. The medal is made from a single piece of silver, carefully engraved on both sides. On one side, we see an engraving of the family’s coat of arms, surrounded by an inscription noting the anniversary. The reverse has an ornate poem in Dutch, dedicated to Cornelia Ooms, likely a relative. These medals were often commissioned by families to mark significant life events, and would have been expensive items. The silversmithing and engraving required a mastery of craft skills, reflecting a high degree of specialization of labor in the early modern period. The artistry and the precious material signifies the family's wealth and social standing, subtly intertwining family history with the economic realities of the time.