39 Barthold Meyer († 1702) Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1701 Medal commemorating the Treaty of Hamburg silver, inv. no. Mü 9966 The Treaty of Hamburg of 1701 formally established the two principalities of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. As Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of MecklenburgSchwerin (r. 1692–1713) received the larger and more influential share of the territory, including most of the former Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he regarded himself as the clear victor. This shift in the balance of power was soon reflected in a series of state-affirming medals. On the obverse, Friedrich Wilhelm is shown in a pose that asserts his sovereign authority. The reverse conveys the message that the duke had reunited the land. Schloss Schwerin (right) and Schloss Güstrow (left), representing the formerly separate centres of power, are deliberately included as symbols of the newly reconfigured ducal order. Yet the design goes beyond architectural representation: the two buildings are linked by chains to the nose ring of a crowned bull’s head at the centre – a potent emblem of Mecklenburg and its princely dynasty. _TF
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