Begin van vredesonderhandelingen tussen Engeland, Spanje en Frankrijk te Kamerijk, rekenpenning van de raad van Financien ter ere van Filips II, koning van Spanje 1558

This anonymous medal, minted by the Council of Finances in honor of Philip II of Spain, commemorates the start of peace negotiations between England, Spain, and France in Cambrai. The medal's composition features a circular format, typical of coins and medals, which immediately evokes ideas of cycles, continuity and the flow of time. The patinated bronze surface adds a textural depth, hinting at age and historical weight. Both sides bear symbolic imagery and text, carefully arranged around a central square hole. The obverse shows Philip II, emphasizing his role in these negotiations, with the reverse displaying a complex heraldic shield, crowned and surrounded by text. The imagery functions semiotically, with the square hole disrupting the conventional imagery of power and prestige. It suggests instability beneath the surface, and perhaps how the promise of peace is always undermined by political maneuvering. This medal thus serves not just as a historical marker but as a complex interplay of form and symbol, reflecting the tensions between power, peace, and the structures that govern them.