Waterloo : Merkwaardige oorlogsgebeurtenissen van het Jaar 1815

Waterloo

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>This fascinating item is the first of this format to be acquired by the University Library. It is a <i>Steckmedaille</i>, the name given to a very specific type of hollow coin made from two matching parts that slot together hiding its contents. First used in the sixteenth century, <i>Steckmedaillen</i> (or their counterparts <i>Schraubthaler</i>, whose parts screwed together) could hold images of one’s beloved, or a secret message, or even a gold coin worth much more than the cover inside which it was concealed. Originally <i>Steckmedaillen</i> were made by carving out the inside of a real coin, but by the time of this example they were purposely cast in tin or other lightweight metals, often as souvenirs to mark historic events.</p><p>This example was made in 1815 to describe events that took place between the Congress of Vienna and the Battle of Waterloo. It is quite tiny, only 5cm in diameter, and contains 16 small paper roundels with engraved illustrations coloured by hand. The roundels are joined by a silk ribbon so that the chronological story can be extended across a table-top. The whole is then contained inside a paper box intended to look like a miniature book. The sides of the coin bear the texts <i>Eure Thaten bewundern Millionen</i> (Your acts are admired by millions) and <i>Heil dem Frieden! Er segnet reich die Erde</i> (Hail peace! How richly it blesses the earth). The book-box also contains an explanatory letterpress booklet in Dutch giving a description of the image on each roundel. The creator of the piece expressed their loyalties quite clearly in the image of Napoleon on the lower cover of the box in which he is half human, half beast.</p><p>As a historical text this is an unusual format, presenting the story of Waterloo in a luxury item; those on the victorious side wanted to mark their nation’s role in the defeat of Napoleon and this object gives both text and illustration to sum up the events. It is perhaps best understood as an early equivalent of a royal wedding souvenir plate.</p></p>