Driehonderdjarig bestaan van de universiteit van Leiden, ter ere van Willem I, prins van Oranje-Nassau en Willem III, koning der Nederlanden 1875

This medal was made by Moses de Vries to celebrate the tercentenary of Leiden University. It's crafted from silver, a precious material, carefully die-struck to create the detailed relief. The choice of silver lends the medal a sense of importance and permanence, reflecting the enduring legacy of both William I and William III, whose portraits appear on one side. The other side shows allegorical figures celebrating the university, but it's the method of production that really tells the story here. Die-striking is a mechanized process, requiring significant capital investment in tools. The precision and detail achieved reflect a highly organized system of labor, a far cry from the hand-wrought techniques of earlier eras. This medal embodies a shift towards industrialization and mass production, and it is through processes like die-striking that we can learn more about the changing social and economic landscape of the 19th century. Looking at craft in this way blurs the lines between art, design, and history.