Karel VI, Duits keizer, rekenpenning geslagen op last van de Staten van Doornik 1720

This medal of Karel VI, German Emperor, was struck by order of the States of Tournai, by Philippe Roëttiers III. On one side, a portrait of Emperor Charles VI, on the other, the tower of Tournai stands prominently. The tower, a symbol of civic identity and autonomy, rises amid wheat sheaves that signify abundance and the economic stability of the region. This echoes ancient Roman depictions of cities, crowned with turreted walls, personifying civic power and security. But consider this: the tower is not merely a structure of stone; it embodies the collective aspirations and memories of its inhabitants. It is a 'Denkmal', a monument laden with historical weight, akin to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, each brick whispering tales of past struggles and triumphs. The persistence of such symbols reflects a deep-seated human need for continuity and order, a striving to anchor ourselves amidst the flux of time. It's a potent reminder of how symbols, once forged, traverse epochs, reshaping themselves in the crucible of cultural memory.