Allegorie op de overname van het bewind over de provincie Utrecht door de aanhangers van Maurits, prins van Oranje-Nassau 1589

This bronze coin, made by an anonymous artist, presents an allegory of governance in Utrecht. Each side contains an image of a man, framed within the coin’s circular boundary. The texture is rough, with visible tooling marks adding to the coin's sense of age and historical depth. One side shows a sower, scattering seeds in a gesture that speaks to new beginnings, while the other depicts a man harvesting with a scythe, connoting the culmination of time and labour. Together, these images represent the cyclical nature of governance itself. Semiotically, the images can be interpreted as symbols of continuity and renewal under Prince Maurits's leadership. The coin destabilizes the notion of fixed power, suggesting instead a continuous process of planting, nurturing, and reaping, reflecting broader philosophical concerns about time and human action. The circular form of the coin reinforces this cyclical theme, emphasizing an ongoing exchange between the ruler and the ruled.