Switzerland 1929-B 1/2 franc
This specimen was lot 35128 in Heritage sale 3067 (Long Beach, September 2018), where it sold for $360. The catalog description[1] noted, "Switzerland: Confederation Specimen 1/2 Franc 1929-B SP67 PCGS, Bern mint. An immaculate, premium Gem of the type unsurpassed in terms of technical grade and without an ounce of tone. From the Feeling Good Collection." This type was struck at the Bern mint starting in 1874 and the design is still in use today tho the coin is now nickel. This specimen is struck to the standard of the French fifty centimes of 1866-1920. This is a fairly common date. Prior to confederation in 1850, each Swiss canton issued its own coins.
Recorded mintage: 2,000,000 plus specimens.
Specification: 2.5 g, 0.835 fine silver, .067 troy oz ASW, 18.2 mm diameter, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM 23.
- Divo, Jean-Paul, and Edwin Tobler, Die Münzen der Schweiz, im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert, Zürich: Bank Leu & Co AG, 1969.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2018 September 6-11 Long Beach Expo World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3067, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
Link to: