1/2 Batzen - Franz-Joseph Supersaxo

Franz-Joseph Supersaxo served as Prince-Bishop of Sion from 1701 to 1734, governing the Valais at a moment when the region was perpetually caught between French diplomatic pressure and the autonomous instincts of the seven dizains. The Bishopric's right to strike its own coinage was one of the few unambiguous symbols of that autonomy, and Supersaxo exercised it throughout his long tenure. Billon issues of this type circulated heavily in a canton where small denominational coinage was chronically scarce, which explains the difficulty in finding survivors with readable surfaces.