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1/2 Franc Helvetia seated
| Issuer | Swiss Confederation |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850-1851 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Reeded. |
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| Mintage | 1850 A - - 4,500,000 1850 A - Specimen - 1851 A - - 2,250,000 1851 A - Specimen - |
| Additional information |
Switzerland's federal coinage system was only created in 1848, when the new constitution finally stripped the cantons of their individual minting rights — ending a chaotic patchwork of over 860 distinct coin types that had made commerce across the confederation a bureaucratic nightmare. The Paris Mint struck the earliest federal issues, including this type, before Bern's own facilities were fully operational.
The 1850–1851 run was effectively a foundational issue, produced in limited quantities relative to later decades. Circulated survivors frequently show rapid attrition on the silver surfaces, a predictable consequence of the coin's modest size meeting heavy commercial demand in a newly unified monetary zone.