1/2 Batzen / 5 Rappen

Lucerne struck this billon piece in 1813 under the Mediation Act framework that Napoleon had imposed on the Swiss cantons in 1803, which restored cantonal sovereignty after the short-lived Helvetic Republic had tried to unify Switzerland under a single currency. The dual denomination — Batzen and Rappen simultaneously — reflects the transitional monetary vocabulary of the period, with the old Batzen system still dominant in everyday commerce while the decimal Rappen was being pushed into circulation.

The Mediation itself collapsed the following year when Napoleon abdicated, throwing Swiss monetary arrangements into fresh uncertainty. HMZ 2#674a documents only a single variety for this type.