Parijse vrijwilligers onder Ponte-Coulant Possibly 1830

This silver medal, titled "Parijse vrijwilligers onder Ponte-Coulant," was created by Adrien Hippolyte Veyrat. Dominating one side is an obelisk, a symbol stretching back to ancient Egypt, representing not just power and remembrance, but also a longing for permanence in a transient world. The obelisk form has appeared throughout history, from the Roman Empire to revolutionary France, each time embodying aspirations of stability and greatness. Consider its echo in the Washington Monument, or even the smaller memorials dotting European cities. This form speaks to a collective desire to commemorate and immortalize, tapping into our subconscious need to defy the inevitable passage of time. Notice how the classical image is repurposed into an emblem of civic pride, demonstrating the cyclical nature of symbols, continually reborn and redefined by successive generations.