Derde eeuwfeest van de Reformatie, te Schweinfurt gevierd 1817

This commemorative medal was created in 1717 in Schweinfurt, likely from a die-struck metal alloy. The process begins with a design incised into a hardened steel die. Blanks of softer metal are then placed between the die and a punch, and struck—originally by hand with a hammer, later by machine—to impress the image. The resulting object is small but tough, meant to last. The material itself speaks to an age of emerging capitalism, when the division of labor and the mass production of small, durable goods had become widespread. The coin's design features a portrait of Martin Luther on one side, and a commemorative inscription on the other, marking the three-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation. Coins like these can give us a vivid sense of early modern life, linking the history of craft and manufacturing to seismic shifts in religious belief and social structure. It's a reminder that even small objects can carry enormous cultural weight.