Karel V, Duits keizer 1547

Hans Reinhart the Elder made this silver badge of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, sometime in the 16th century. On one side, we see a profile portrait of Charles wearing a laurel crown. On the reverse, two columns rise from the sea, topped with crowns. The columns are almost certainly the Pillars of Hercules, which Charles adopted as his emblem. In classical mythology, these pillars marked the edge of the known world, beyond which lay only the vast ocean. By placing his crown on these columns, Charles was making a bold statement about his imperial ambitions. This badge offers us insight into the political image-making of the period. It reflects Charles's desire to present himself as a powerful, divinely appointed ruler, who controlled not just territory but also knowledge and access to the world beyond. Through the use of classical imagery, Charles sought to legitimize his rule and project an image of strength and authority. Looking at the badge, historians research the imagery of power to understand the symbols and visual cues to which people responded in the 16th Century.