Opening van de Rheinbahn Keulen-Mainz, ter ere van Frederik Willem IV, koning van Pruisen en Willem, regent van Pruisen

About this artwork

diameter 7 cm x weight 1633 gr

Art Historical Context

This striking 1859 medal by Belgian medallist Jacob Wiener commemorates the opening of the Rhine Railway connecting Cologne and Mainz. Created in honor of Prussian King Frederick William IV and his brother William (then serving as regent), the substantial piece—7 cm in diameter and weighing 1,633 grams—belongs to the long tradition of official presentation medals that celebrated major infrastructural projects. In the mid-nineteenth century, new railway lines symbolized technological progress and national unity along the Rhine. Wiener’s work captures this moment when Prussian leadership suppor...

About the Artist

Jacob Wiener · 1815–1899

Jacob Wiener (1815–1899), also known as Jacques Wiener, was a Belgian medallist and engraver of exceptional skill whose work left an indelible mark on 19th-century European numismatic art. Born on February 27, 1815, in Hoerstgen (in present-day Germany), Wiener would become one of Belgium's most distinguished engravers, contributing significantly to the young nation's cultural identity through his...