Sluiting van het drievoudige verbond tussen Engeland, Frankrijk en de Republiek 1596

This small medal, likely made of silver, commemorates an alliance between England, France, and the Dutch Republic. Its small size speaks to its function: to be circulated widely, passing from hand to hand. The imagery on the medal is rich in symbolic meaning. On one side, we see three figures representing the allied nations, clasping hands over an altar inscribed with the words "Liberty" and "Fatherland". On the reverse, a figure destroys a pillar with a banner reading "Hatred of Tyranny". The repetitive action of striking this medal, multiplied across many examples, was crucial to its purpose, driving home a political message. The medal is not only an artwork, but also a form of proto-mass media. The way it was made— through skilled labor, but also a deployment of reproducible imagery—speaks to early modern capitalism, and the use of objects to shape public opinion.