Huwelijk van Willem V met Wilhelmina Frederica Sophia van Pruisen te Berlijn, penning aangeboden aan de schutters van Amsterdam tijdens een vergadering in de Doelen en aan de brandmeesters van 's-Grav

About this artwork

diameter 3.7 cm x weight 198 gr

Art Historical Context

This elegant commemorative medal, struck in 1767 by Dutch medallist Gerrit van Moelingen, marks the marriage of William V, Prince of Orange, to Wilhelmina Frederica Sophia of Prussia in Berlin. Measuring just 3.7 centimetres across and weighing 198 grams, the piece was created through the traditional technique of striking, in which a design is impressed into metal using engraved dies. Such medals served as portable tokens of important events, allowing civic groups to celebrate and remember occasions of national significance. The inscription notes that examples were presented to the schutters (civic militia) of Amsterdam during a gathering at the Doelen and to the brandmeesters (fire masters) of The Hague. These gifts underscored the close ties between the stadtholder’s court and the leading cities of the Dutch Republic, reinforcing loyalty and shared identity at a time when political alliances with Prussia carried both diplomatic and military weight. Today the medal offers visitors a tangible link to eighteenth-century ceremonial life, illustrating how small, finely crafted objects could convey prestige, gratitude, and collective memory across generations.