1/2 Thaler

Basel struck this half thaler during a period of careful municipal consolidation following the Thirty Years' War, which had devastated much of the surrounding Holy Roman Empire while leaving the city itself largely unscathed — a result of Swiss neutrality that was still informal doctrine rather than codified policy. The city's mint operated under direct cantonal authority, producing silver coinage financed in part by the considerable transit tolls Basel collected on Rhine river traffic.

The HMZ 2-80j variety designation signals a die variant within what is already a sparsely documented run. Surviving examples in any grade are infrequently encountered at auction.