Franse rechtbank uit de tijd van de Republiek, penning met 'respect a la loi' 1791 - 1804

This silver medal, made by Jean Theodore Maurisset, features potent symbols of the French Republic and its aspirations. On one side, we see the figure of Liberty, a modern echo of classical goddesses, holding a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom since Roman times. She leans on a tablet inscribed with 'Liberté, Égalité'. The laurel wreath on the reverse side, surrounding the call to 'Respect à la Loi,' ties back to ancient associations of victory and honor, now repurposed to celebrate the rule of law. Consider how these symbols have migrated through history, shifting in emphasis. The Phrygian cap, once worn by freed slaves, resurfaces in the French Revolution as a mark of the liberated citizen. This cultural memory is not linear, but cyclical, with symbols continually reborn, carrying their past into the present, and shaping our collective consciousness.