Filips II, koning van Spanje 1574

This coin depicting Filips II, King of Spain, now residing in the Rijksmuseum, presents us with a fascinating interplay of form and power. The circular shape, a common feature for currency, immediately suggests a sense of unity and completeness, yet the marred and worn surface disrupts this notion with the marks of circulation. The imagery, though degraded, reveals the symbolic weight it once carried. The formal design elements—the inscription, the emblem of power— were originally intended to broadcast authority, but now it is a reminder of the inevitable degradation of such symbols. Considered as an object, it destabilizes our usual experience of value and meaning. The defacement of its original design elements offers a counter-narrative to the concept of fixed authority. The coin’s materiality and design function beyond mere currency; they become a site of interpretation, engaging with questions of time, power, and representation.