Filips de Schone, hertog van Bourgondie, rekenpenning van de munt van Vlaanderen 1491

This is a copper coin depicting Filips de Schone, Duke of Burgundy. It’s a 'rekenpenning', a medieval counting coin from the Mint of Flanders, crafted by an anonymous artist. Reflect on this small object as a symbol of power. We see the visual rhetoric of leadership employed. On one side, a portrait of Filips de Schone, the embodiment of authority, and on the other, the heraldic shield. Although the artist remains unknown, their work was instrumental in visually reinforcing the Duke's dominion. Consider, too, the function of such currency. Who handled it? What social classes exchanged it, and what did it mean for their daily lives? This coin reminds us how power and identity were constructed and circulated in the late medieval world. It is a potent reminder of the interwoven histories of art, power, and everyday existence.