Slag bij Cadiz tussen de Nederlandse fregatten Castor en Den Briel, onder het commando van P. Melvill en Gerardus Oorthuys en de Engelse fregatten Flora en Crescent, onder het commando van Thomas Pake 1781

Curator: I'm immediately struck by the intense detail packed into this tiny space. It feels like looking at an entire ocean contained within a silver coin. Editor: You’re right. What you’re describing is a medal created around 1781 by Johan George Holtzhey. It commemorates the naval Battle of Cadiz, a face-off between Dutch and English frigates. The rather long-winded title is "Slag bij Cadiz tussen de Nederlandse fregatten Castor en Den Briel, onder het commando van P. Melvill en Gerardus Oorthuys en de Engelse fregatten Flora en Crescent, onder het commando van Thomas Pake.” You can see it on display here at the Rijksmuseum. Curator: A battle rendered in miniature—the irony is almost unbearable. I’m thinking of all the real lives, the chaos, reduced to a neatly packaged, almost sterile scene. What's the feeling it evoked at the time? Pride? Editor: Certainly, national pride played a role. Medals like these functioned as propaganda. Note the inscription “VIS VI FORTITER REPULSA.” It translates roughly to “Force is bravely repelled by force.” It's an assertion of Dutch naval power and a reminder of defiance in the face of England's growing dominance. Curator: Propaganda never felt so… elegant. Looking closely, there are also intricate symbols of power and heritage on the reverse side of the medal – what does that tell you? Editor: Indeed. On the reverse, we see a coat of arms flanked by flags and weapons, topped by a trident. These aren't just decorative flourishes; they're statements of identity, historical claims, and aspirations to maritime control. And consider the material: silver. Precious, durable, and reflective of power, especially economic power. These objects circulated widely and reminded people that Dutch power existed even in times of strife. Curator: A shimmering emblem of a turbulent history… There's a haunting beauty here, a contained storm frozen in metal. It really encourages reflection. Editor: Absolutely. These medals open a window onto complex narratives of conflict, national identity, and the ways societies choose to memorialize their history, battles, and so on.