François van Alençon (Anjou) souverein van Brabant en Vlaanderen 1581 1581

This 1581 medal by Coenraed de Bock depicts François van Alençon, Duke of Anjou, in profile. On the obverse, the duke wears armor and a chain of office. The reverse is inscribed with a detailed Latin inscription. The small, 4.6 cm diameter medal commemorates the Duke's 1581 election as sovereign of Brabant and Flanders, a critical moment in the Eighty Years' War. The medal likely served as a political propaganda piece, celebrating the Duke's role in the resistance against Spanish rule in the Netherlands.