's-Hertogenbosch, vroedschapspenning op de aanleg van de steenweg van 's-Hertogenbosch naar Eindhoven 1741

Curator: This metal medal, dating from 1741, commemorates the construction of the stone road from 's-Hertogenbosch to Eindhoven. It's titled "'s-Hertogenbosch, vroedschapspenning op de aanleg van de steenweg van 's-Hertogenbosch naar Eindhoven," created by Theodorus Everardus van Berckel. Editor: My initial reaction is one of muted celebration, almost solemnity. The figures are stiff, the landscape stylized, there is such restraint. This makes me feel that it was more important to honour and acknowledge that history took place rather than glorify or sentimentalize the moment of creation itself. What do you think? Curator: That's an interesting perspective. For me, the formality is very much of its time, reflecting Baroque aesthetics but more than just aesthetics, that restraint probably had a socio-political function. The medal served as a public record and legitimization of civic achievement, therefore any frivolous flourishes would be seen as undermining of that core objective. Editor: Exactly. I get a strong sense of municipal pride. The road depicted connects these two cities. There's an inscription… can you read it for us? Curator: It reads "Mercaturae Commodo, Civium Bono, Inchoata Via MDCCXLI". In English it translates to something along the lines of "For the convenience of trade, for the good of the citizens, the road was started in 1741." The reverse of the medal depicts Mercury, god of trade, alongside a seated female figure, representing 's-Hertogenbosch, who is almost beckoning and suggesting forward action. Editor: Ah, yes, Mercury, the patron of merchants. Note his caduceus – a symbol of commerce but that also implies healing – perhaps linking the road to civic well-being? It strikes me as such a concrete manifestation of a town’s ambition and their hope for future growth and influence, something palpable held in one's hand. It is like an invitation to remember, discuss, and reflect. Curator: Absolutely, these medals were a common means of public commemoration and promotion of civic projects. And it’s that human impulse to leave a trace, to memorialize, even on something as seemingly mundane as a road that makes it so powerful to experience now.