Jozef, aartshertog van Oostenrijk, gekroond tot Rooms koning Possibly 1764 - 1768

This bronze coin depicting Joseph, Archduke of Austria, crowned as King of the Romans, was crafted by Jacques Roëttiers. Notice how the circular form is divided into two distinct heraldic compositions, each conveying symbols of power and authority. On one side, a meticulously detailed coat of arms is surmounted by an ornate crown, all encircled by a Latin inscription. The other side features a double-headed eagle, itself crowned, amidst military regalia and another Latin phrase. The coin’s materiality—bronze—lends it a sense of gravity and timelessness. Roëttiers employs a formal visual language. The arrangement of emblems and text adheres to a structured design, indicative of the period’s emphasis on order and hierarchy. But the coin's function goes beyond mere aesthetic representation, serving as a medium for disseminating political ideology and asserting dynastic claims. The interplay of signs, from the crowns to the eagles, creates a semiotic system intended to legitimize royal authority. Each element serves as a carefully chosen signifier within a broader symbolic order.