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1/2 Batzen
| Issuer | City of Lucerne |
|---|---|
| Year | 1742-1743 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central shield bearing the arms of Lucerne — divided vertically, sinister silver and dexter azure — set within an ornate oval cartouche adorned with scrollwork, foliate tendrils, and pendant flower garlands. The shield is flanked by decorative volutes in Baroque style. The circumferential Latin legend is interrupted at the base by the date, with the engraver's initial T following the year. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bold cross fleury occupies the centre of the field, its four arms terminating in stylised fleur-de-lis finials; each quarter of the cross contains an ornamental flower stem with a prominent blossom, lending a decorative Baroque character to the composition. The circumferential Latin legend, reading in a continuous band around the border, is punctuated by a small floral ornament at the conclusion. The overall design is crisp and well-centred, consistent with milled coinage production. |
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| Additional information |
Lucerne's billon coinage of the early 1740s was produced under the monetary framework of the Swiss Confederacy, where individual cantons retained the right to strike small denominations well into the eighteenth century despite persistent pressure toward regional standardization. The Batzen itself had been a unit of account across the Swiss lands since the late fifteenth century, but by 1742 the fractional denominations were increasingly contested at borders, where neighboring cantons frequently refused acceptance of each other's billon at face value.
The two-year production window — 1742 and 1743 only — likely reflects a specific cantonal authorization rather than continuous mint activity.