Tweehonderdjarige herdenking van het herroepen van het Edict van Nantes 1885 1885

This silver commemorative medal was created in 1885 by Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion, and marks the two-hundred-year anniversary of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The medal offers us a glimpse into the historical and cultural context of the Protestant Huguenots. The Edict, originally issued in 1598, had granted them religious freedom in Catholic France, but its revocation in 1685 led to persecution, forcing many to flee. On one side, a lion stands atop a palisade holding a staff topped with a hat. This imagery symbolizes the refugees seeking safety and recognition. The reverse depicts a wreath which memorializes the date of the revocation alongside the year of the medal's creation. Elion's medal serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of religious intolerance and the enduring legacy of those who sought refuge in foreign lands. It reflects both the pain of displacement and the hope for a more tolerant future.