Overlijden van Jacob Verschoor, godgeleerde te Vlissingen, stichter van de secte der "Verschooristen" 1700

This silver medal commemorates the death in 1700 of Jakob Verschoor, a theologian in Vlissingen and founder of the Verschoorist sect. Religious life in the Dutch Republic was shaped by the Reformation. The image of Verschoor is rendered in a classical style. Note the lion on the reverse, a symbol for the Dutch Republic, which can also be understood in religious terms. Verschoor's theology may be situated within a broader context of reformed Protestantism. Some within that tradition adopted a radical edge in its opposition to established Catholic and even Protestant institutions. Verschoor was censured by the Synod of Zeeland. To truly understand this medal, we would want to learn more about the context for religious dissent in the Dutch Republic. Archival research into the records of the Synod and the writings of Verschoor and his opponents would help us better understand the medal's historical significance. Ultimately, this medal testifies to the power of religious ideas to shape social identities.