Filips van Anjou accepteert de Spaanse troon, rekenpenning geslagen ter ere Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk 1700

This coin, crafted by Thomas Bernard, commemorates Philip of Anjou's ascension to the Spanish throne under the watchful eye of Louis XIV. Observe on the reverse, a striking tableau unfolds: a lion, symbolizing Spain, gazes towards a figure of Pax, the Roman goddess of peace. This recalls classical antiquity, where Pax embodies the longing for harmony and the cessation of conflict, a motif deeply embedded in the cultural psyche. But note, how the goddess, with a dove perched atop her head, departs from her Greco-Roman roots and morphs into a symbol of Christian peace. The emotional weight carried by the image of Pax is profound; in times of turmoil, the collective yearning for peace resurfaces, often manifesting through symbolic representations that blend historical, religious, and cultural threads. This coin reminds us that symbols are never static; they are living entities, constantly reshaped by the currents of history and the ever-evolving human experience.