De rust hersteld in Duitsland onder Ferdinand III 1650

This small, square coin, made of silver, commemorates the restoration of peace to Germany under Ferdinand III. Though anonymous, the craftsman who made it would have been highly skilled. The coin’s size and shape are unusual, but its making would have involved established techniques: the silver carefully alloyed, heated, and then struck with dies to create the design. Look closely, and you can see how the material has responded to the force of the stamping, the metal compressed at the edges. One side depicts a figure, perhaps an allegory of peace, with inscriptions in German. The other side bears the name and title of Ferdinand III in Latin. Coins like these were not just currency; they were also tools of propaganda, circulated to reinforce the power and legitimacy of the ruler. In this light, the very act of minting – the transformation of raw material into a potent symbol – takes on added significance, reminding us of the intricate relationship between materials, making, and meaning.