Collegium Medico-Pharmaceuticum te Alkmaar, toegangspenning voor de hortus medicus voor R. Paludanus 1762

This medal was struck to honor R. Paludanus’s entry into the Collegium Medico-Pharmaceuticum in Alkmaar. Notice the lions supporting the city’s coat of arms on one side, and the stylized lily framed by classical columns on the other. The lily, or fleur-de-lis, as we know it, has ancient roots as a symbol of royalty and purity. The lily can be traced back to antiquity as a motif representing divine power. In the medieval era, it became strongly associated with the French monarchy and the Virgin Mary. Here, however, the lily is flanked by the words ‘Botancia’ ‘Medicina’ and ‘Theorica’, suggesting its reference is medicinal botany, and its association with healing and the power of nature. Symbols like the lily don’t just appear by chance. They carry the weight of centuries, adapting and resurfacing across cultures, speaking to our subconscious and reminding us of the enduring human quest for meaning and understanding.