Uri was among the smallest and poorest of the Swiss cantons, and its decision to strike coinage in 1811 was partly a political assertion of sovereignty during a period when Napoleonic reorganization had recently dissolved the Helvetic Republic and restored cantonal authority. Billon — the debased silver-copper alloy used here — was the practical choice for a minor issuer with limited metal resources. The 1811 issue is scarce simply because Uri had neither the population nor the commerce to require large mintages.
Uri was among the smallest and poorest of the Swiss cantons, and its decision to strike coinage in 1811 was partly a political assertion of sovereignty during a period when Napoleonic reorganization had recently dissolved the Helvetic Republic and restored cantonal authority. Billon — the debased silver-copper alloy used here — was the practical choice for a minor issuer with limited metal resources. The 1811 issue is scarce simply because Uri had neither the population nor the commerce to require large mintages.