Bestraffing van de opstandelingen in de Nederlanden door Filips II, koning van Spanje, rekenpenning van de rekenkamer van Vlaanderen te Rijssel 1570

This is a historical reckoning coin, made anonymously in 1570, by the Chamber of Accounts of Flanders in Lille. This piece is a tangible artifact from a period marked by intense political and religious conflict. It offers a glimpse into the fraught relationship between Spain and the Netherlands. At the time the Spanish King Phillip II ruled the Netherlands, which led to growing discontent amongst the Dutch, many of whom were protestant. The coin commemorates the suppression of the Dutch Revolt by the Spanish. It serves as a potent symbol of Spanish authority and the brutal consequences faced by those who dared to challenge it. The imagery and inscriptions on the coin work together to construct a narrative of power and subjugation. It reminds us of the human cost of political and religious conflict, while also giving insight into the propaganda strategies used by rulers to consolidate their authority.