Switzerland 1996 50 francs
This specimen was lot 4540 in Sincona sale 51 (Zürich, October 2018), where it sold for 80 CHF (about US$97 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"50 Franken 1996. Sempach. Kantonalschützenfest. Polierte Platte. FDC. (Swiss confederation, fifty francs of 1996, Sempach cantonal shooting festival. Choice Proof.)"
This NCLT was issued for the Luzern shooting festival. Shooting festival medals/coins are a Swiss tradition going back before confederation in 1848. The early ones (before World War One) were struck to the standard of a silver five francs and circulated as such even tho they bore no denomination. Later ones are strictly collector items with no face value and should be classed as medals, not coins. They are not listed in the regular SCWC. This one is accompanied by a gold 500 francs (Fr-514e).
Recorded mintage: 1,500.
Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver; this specimen 24.93 g.
Catalog reference: Häberling 51a, KM XS48.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Unusual World Coins, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, Sincona Auction 51: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals; Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2018.
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