Terugkeer van Karel V, Duits keizer in de Nederlanden, rekenpenning van de raad van Financiën 1548

This bronze medal without a date was anonymously made to commemorate the return of Charles V to the Netherlands. The medal encapsulates the complex political landscape of the time, which was marked by religious and social upheaval. Charles V sought to consolidate his power amid growing tensions between the Catholic establishment and emerging Protestant movements. On one side, we see imagery related to financial prosperity, perhaps alluding to Charles V's efforts to stabilize the economy, and the other side features an emblem of power. Consider this medal as a reflection of its time, a time when power was negotiated through symbols and imagery. It serves as a reminder of the personal and political struggles that shaped early modern Europe.