Medal Commemorating the Opening of the Dutch Jewish Orphanage in Amsterdam

The medalist Jacques Elion, from a Dutch Sephardic family, was introduced to his craft by his father, Samuel Jacob Cohen Elion (1812–1880), a medalist and gem cutter. After studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam, Jacques Elion had a successful career making portrait medals honoring members of the Dutch royal family as well as governmental and cultural figures. He also designed medals to commemorate the openings of social welfare institutions (e.g., orphanages, homes for the aged), public buildings (the City Theater, the Palace of Industry), and events (the International Agricultural Exhibition) in Amsterdam.