Filips IV, koning van Spanje 1647

Curator: This coin, dated 1647, features Filips IV, King of Spain. It’s a fascinating artifact, blending carving and engraving techniques on metal. The coin, which is currently held here at the Rijksmuseum, provides us with insights into the art and politics of the era. Editor: You know, holding an object like that…it feels like touching history directly. The weight, the cool metal, the way light catches the tiny details, I can almost feel the power radiating off it even now, almost like picking up someone's aura. Curator: Exactly. The imagery is carefully chosen. On one side, we see Philip IV's coat of arms under the royal crown. Editor: That side looks so regal, proper...the kind of image you’d expect. Flip it, and BAM! This other side's like a whimsical little dream. Curator: Yes, the reverse features a scene with the sun shining down upon a building or town. This probably references Philip's dominion over different lands and the perceived divine right of kings. Editor: A little PR spin, maybe? But isn't that a landscape, too? It gives this idea of sunlight shining onto... ordinary lives? Curator: Coins of this nature absolutely played a key role in constructing Philip's image. This was a tool to assert his presence and authority in this turbulent time, with the ongoing conflict and tensions between Spain and the Dutch Republic, where such images were clearly contested and fraught with meaning. Editor: See, and there it is! History intrudes. I love how even the smallest object has its story, how somebody decided this face, these symbols…and how they ripple outwards even centuries later. Curator: And each piece, each mark made by the artist or craftsman speaks volumes about both the state, and the political contexts of this king. This portrait on the coin helps bring it back to us. Editor: Beautiful, thank you! It does take you back doesn't it. Curator: It truly does.