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1/2 Kreutzer
| Issuer | City of Bern |
|---|---|
| Year | 1707-1732 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#75, HMZ 2#2-226, Divo/Tob18#530 |
| Obverse description | Central field depicts the standing bear of Bern, the heraldic symbol of the city, facing left within an inner circle. The bear is rendered in a stylized manner characteristic of early 18th-century Swiss cantonal coinage. The circumferential legend MONETA·BERNENSIS encircles the design, separated from the central motif by a beaded or plain border. The coin's surface shows the typical flat relief of small billon issues of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Bern's half-kreutzer issues of this period were fiduciary small change produced for daily market transactions at a time when the city-canton maintained jealously independent monetary policy from its Swiss confederate neighbors. The billon alloy — debased silver with substantial copper content — was a deliberate choice to keep production costs below face value while discouraging hoarding. Most pieces circulated hard and fast through Bern's markets and toll points, which explains why high-grade survivors are genuinely scarce despite a production window spanning a quarter century.