European Medals from 1513 to 1788
Netherlands, The Dutch Republic. Amsterdam . Medal, cast (Silver, gilt, 66mm, 50.89 g 12), on the death of Simon Episcopius (1583-1643) in Amsterdam on 4 April 1643, 1643. DE HELDERE SVYVERE NAACKTE WAARHEIT. EN GHVLDE VRYHEYT (= the striking, pure and naked truth, and the precious liberty... ) On the left, Virtue, nude, standing facing, her right foot on a globe, holding the sun in her right hand and an open book and palm branch with her left; on the right, Liberty, standing facing, holding a lance topped by a liberty cap. Rev. KRACHTICH’V.DEDICHT’MET. LEER.EN.LEV.DOOR.M.SIM. EPIS.EERTYTS. PROF.DER.H. THEOL.TOT.LEYD’ (= were strongly defended by the teaching and conduct of M. Simon Episcopius, once professor of holy theology at Leiden ) Engraved in twelve lines: DESEN PENNINGH / DOOR DE ERFGENAMEN / VAN WYLEN. Mr SIMON / EPISCOPIVS. VEREERT TOT / GEDACHTENIS AEN DIE GENEN / DIE SYN E. IN SYN SIECKTE BE / DIENT EN NAE SYN OVERLYDEN / GEDRAGEN HEBBEN IS SOETELYCK / IN DEN Hr ONTSLAPEN DEN 4.EN / APRIL 1643 SMORGENS / ONTRENT 10 UREN TOT / AMSTERDAM. (= the heirs of Mr Simon Episcopius have presented this medal as a memento to those who assisted His Reverence during his illness, and who bore him after his death. He went to sleep tranquilly with God on 4 April 1643, at around 10 in the morning in Amsterdam ). Bemolt 56. Hofstee 32. KPK 677. Van Loon II, pp. 261-262. A lovely original cast, with the original gilding. As usual, the fields were polished prior to the contemporary gilding, otherwise , extremely fine. Simon Episcopius (=Simon Bisschop) was a Remonstrant and Arminian minister, who was greatly disliked by the orthodox Calvinists. He and a number of supporters were refused a hearing at the Synod of Dort, and then exiled. After the death of Prince Maurice Episcopius was finally allowed to return: he died while serving as rector of the Remonstrant college in Amsterdam.