Overlijden van Filips de Schone, hertog van Bourgondie, rekenpenning van Castilie 1506

This bronze medal, commemorating the death of Philip the Fair, Duke of Burgundy, presents a somber scene laden with symbolic weight. On one side, we see the Duke attended by mourning figures, their faces etched with grief, while the reverse bears a complex heraldic shield crowned by an eagle, emblems of power and lineage. The shield, bristling with quarterings, speaks of dynastic ambition and the tangled web of inheritance. Such heraldry can be traced back through centuries, echoing the totemic symbols of ancient clans. The eagle, a symbol of imperial authority since Roman times, has been continuously resurrected and reinterpreted to legitimize power, surfacing on emblems from Charlemagne to the Third Reich. Observe how the rigid formality of the heraldic devices contrasts with the emotional tableau of mourning. These emblems, designed to project strength and continuity, are here juxtaposed with the very human reality of death and loss. The coin serves as a potent reminder of the enduring power of symbols to shape and manipulate our perceptions of authority, grief, and memory.