Vrede van Teschen, ter ere van Frederik II de Grote, koning van Pruisen 1779

This is Abraham Abramson's silver medal, commemorating the Peace of Teschen. Abramson, of course, was a leading medallist of his time. The medal celebrates the end of the War of Bavarian Succession in 1779, a conflict ignited by the death of the Elector of Bavaria and the subsequent power grab by Austria. On one side, we see a profile of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, wreathed in laurel, an image of leadership and victory. On the other, a female figure—likely an allegorical representation of peace or Prussia itself—rests upon clouds, a spear in one hand and shield in the other. This medal is more than a historical marker, it’s a study in power, legacy, and representation. It prompts us to reflect on how leaders are memorialized and the stories that get told. It serves as a reminder of how deeply intertwined the personal is with the political, and how artists like Abramson played a role in shaping the narratives of their time.