Vijfentwintigjarig huwelijk van Frederik, prins der Nederlanden en Louise Augusta Wilhelmina Amalia, prinses van Pruisen, penning aangeboden door de vrijmetselarij van Nederland 1850

This silver medal commemorating the 25th wedding anniversary of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands and Princess Louise of Prussia was made by Johannes Petrus Schouberg, likely around 1850. On one side, we see the conjoined profiles of the royal couple, while the other features a Masonic pyramid surrounded by laurel wreaths. Freemasonry, with its values of brotherhood, reason, and social reform, gained traction among elites in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Dutch Masonic lodges would have been eager to associate themselves with royalty, hoping to enhance their status. By commissioning this medal, the Freemasons offer a glimpse into their aspirations and the strategies they employed to gain legitimacy. Numismatic collections and archives of Masonic lodges can reveal the complex interplay between social movements, political power, and artistic production. This medal serves as a reminder that art objects are embedded in specific cultural and institutional contexts.