Allegorische waarschuwing tegen de amnestie, door Albrecht van Oostenrijk afgekondigd tijdens het beleg van Oostende 1603

This small silver coin holds profound meaning, crafted by an anonymous artist as an allegorical warning against the amnesty declared by Albrecht of Austria during the siege of Ostend. On one side, we see a fox and a bird perched on a branch. The fox, a symbol of cunning and deceit, stares up at the bird, which represents innocence or naiveté. The cautionary message "ALIUD PECTORE ALIUD IN LINGUA" – "one thing in the heart, another on the tongue" – is inscribed around the edge, cautioning the observer of the deceptive nature of appearances. This fox and bird motif echoes Aesop's fables, where animals embody human traits, their stories imparting moral lessons across millennia. The image stirs deep within us, tapping into a collective memory of mistrust and the primal fear of deception. Its emotional power lies in this ability to awaken our inherent skepticism, a vital instinct passed down through generations. We are reminded that the symbolic representation of the fox resurfaces time and again, evolving yet retaining its essence as a harbinger of cunning, a mirror reflecting our own complex relationship with truth and falsehood.