Verschillende munten en penningen 1839 - 1863

Jan Dam Steuerwald created this print of various coins and medals in the Netherlands in the 19th century using lithography. Prints like this one served a documentary purpose, allowing wider audiences to study and appreciate numismatic collections. The coins and medals shown here reflect a culture deeply invested in symbols of power, history, and identity. We see royal portraits and heraldic imagery, visual codes that would have been immediately legible to the Dutch public. To understand these images fully, one would need to delve into Dutch social and political history, exploring the role of the monarchy, the influence of trade, and the development of national symbols. Studying the archives of institutions like the Rijksmuseum itself could reveal how these objects were collected, displayed, and interpreted, shaping public perceptions of Dutch identity. Ultimately, this print reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum. It is a product of its time, shaped by social forces and institutions.