Erepenning voor Piet Hein, aan hem geschonken door Frederik Hendrik
People who have performed a heroic deed or reached the end of a long career are sometimes awarded a medal as a token of esteem and gratitude. Often these are made of gold. Especially in the seventeenth century, gold medals with their chains were literally a reward. They were subsequently melted down and converted into money, which is why so few have survived.