Henri Van Eesbeke, bijgenaamd Van der Haegen, magistraat van de schatkist van Brussel 1663

This coin, made by an anonymous artist, shows Henri Van Eesbeke, magistrate of the treasury of Brussels. Its images, though small, speak volumes. On one side, the family crest. The eagle, a symbol of power since Roman times, sits atop a shield, dividing the family history into quadrants, each telling a different story of lineage and alliance. Turn it over, and a lion sits atop what seems to be a gate. The lion, again, is an ancient symbol found from the Far East to ancient Greece, representing courage and nobility. Here, the heraldic lion, like the eagle, stands as a guardian of power and integrity. These motifs transcend mere symbols; they evoke deep-seated emotional responses. Like dreams, they tap into our collective unconscious, stirring primal emotions of fear, respect, and awe. Over time, the symbolic weight of the lion and eagle has shifted, yet their fundamental association with authority remains. These symbols, like cultural echoes, persist through time. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different contexts, reminding us of the cyclical nature of history and the enduring power of images.