Penning over het beleg van Amsterdam door Willem II, 1650 1724 - 1726

This is a medal, created anonymously in 1650, commemorating the siege of Amsterdam by Willem II. Dominating the coin's imagery is Amsterdam's coat of arms, featuring three Saint Andrew's crosses beneath a crown, flanked by draped mantles. These crosses, simple yet powerful, are believed to symbolize protection against fire, flood, and famine. Such symbols possess a life of their own, echoing across time. We see similar configurations in heraldry throughout Europe, each bearing its own local significance, yet all tapping into a primal need for order and defense. Consider the cross, a motif laden with spiritual weight from its use in Christian iconography, now repurposed here to embody civic pride and resilience. The crown above speaks to authority, yet its placement above the crosses hints at a deeper psychological interplay—a subconscious negotiation between divine right and communal self-governance. This medal isn't merely a record; it's a crystallization of Amsterdam's collective identity. It serves as a reminder of the city's endurance, its spirit resilient through conflict. The symbols, deeply embedded in our cultural memory, stir profound emotions, transcending their immediate context to engage us on a fundamental level.