Bern 1773 1/4 thaler
This specimen was lot 3195 in Sincona sale 70 (Zürich, May 2021), where it sold for 300 CHF (about US$398 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SWITZERLAND | Bern | Stadt und Kanton. Vierteltaler (10 Batzen) 1773, Bern. Laubrand. Vorzüglich. (Switzerland, city and canton of Bern, quarter thaler or ten batzen of 1773, Bern mint, laureate wreath. Extremely fine.)"
Bern, one of the cantons of Switzerland, struck coins fairly steadily throughout the eighteenth century altho thalers are scarce. The coinage was interrupted by Napoleonic occupation but resumed in 1817. In 1839, the coinage was decimalized to 100 centimes = one franc and one, two, four, ten and twenty-five centimes were issued, all in billon. This type was struck 1757-60, 1773-74. Four kreuzer = 1 batzen = 1/40 of a thaler. In 1848, Bern was incorporated into the reformed Swiss Confederation and coinage for the individual cantons ceased.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 8.26 g.
Catalog reference: KM 118, D.T. 512e, HMZ 2-220e.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Richter, Jürg, and Ruedi Kunzmann, Neuer HMZ-Katalog, Band 2: Die Münzen der Schweiz und Liechtensteins 15//16. Jahrhundert bis Gegenwart, Regenstauf, Germany: H. Gietl Verlag GmbH, 2006.
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 70, Swiss Coins and Medals and Rarities in Gold, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2021.
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