Inname van Namen door de Fransen, ter ere van Lodewijk XIV, penning geslagen door raad en volk van die stad 1692

This commemorative coin celebrating the Capture of Namur by the French was struck by the council and people of that city. Observe how the circular form dictates the composition. The coin is divided into two distinct sides. One side features a profile of Louis XIV, meticulously detailed with flowing hair and regal attire, which speaks to the king’s authority. The Latin inscription curves along the coin’s edge framing Louis XIV, reinforcing the structure of power and the divine right of kings. The other side is filled with text in Latin surrounded by a laurel wreath. These elements—the circular shape, the division of obverse and reverse, and the inscriptions—function together to create meaning. It is a study in power, where the formal elements act as signs pointing towards the absolutist claims of Louis XIV. A coin like this serves not only as currency but as propaganda, disseminating political messages through visual and tactile means. It reminds us that art is never neutral but always embedded in social, political, and historical contexts, inviting ongoing interpretation.