Vroedschapspenning van de stad 's-Gravenhage 1739

This silver Vroedschapspenning, or council medal, was created by Nicolaas van Swinderen in the eighteenth century, at a time when the Dutch Republic was a major center for trade and culture, but also a society deeply marked by social hierarchies. The medal presents two sides of the same coin, literally and figuratively. On one side, we see the crowned coat of arms of The Hague, flanked by lions, symbols of power and protection, and images of stately buildings. Flip the coin, and we are confronted with the figure of Justice, holding scales and a bundle of rods, embodying the ideals of fairness and governance. Consider, though, that these ideals were often at odds with the lived realities of many. Justice, in its very abstraction, can obscure the disparities and prejudices inherent in systems of power. The medal, therefore, becomes a potent symbol of both the aspirations and the contradictions of its time. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle to reconcile the ideal with the real.