Bern 1798 2 kreuzer

from the Stack's Bowers 2020 Collector's Choice sale, lot 71657

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 1718-21, 1753-55 and 1770-78, 1784-88 and 1794-98 and this is the most common date. Two kreuzer = ½ batzen = 1/80 of a thaler. In 1848, Bern was incorporated into the reformed Swiss Confederation and coinage for the individual cantons ceased. This specimen was lot 71657 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $100. The catalog description^[1] noted, "SWITZERLAND. Bern. 24 Kreuzer, 1798. PCGS MS-65 Gold Shield. Also valued as 1 Batzen. City coinage issue with the traditional Bernese bear facing left on the obverse. Every hair in the bear's coat is fully defined."

Recorded mintage: unknown but not rare.

Specification: billon (low grade silver).

Catalog reference: KM 91.

Source:

• 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.
• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.

Link to:

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