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1 Ducat
| Issuer | Obwalden, Republic of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1787-1860 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse lettering | NATUS Aᴼ 1417 OBIIT Aᴼ 1487 XXI MARTY · DUCAT· REIPUB· SUBSILV· SUPER· 1787 |
| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the figure of Blessed Nicholas of Flüe (Niklaus von Flüe), patron of Switzerland, kneeling in three-quarter view facing right in an attitude of fervent prayer. The bearded saint is rendered in naturalistic relief, his hands clasped together and holding a rosary with a crucifix pendant, his gaze directed heavenward toward radiating rays of divine light emanating from the upper right field. A circular Latin legend surrounds the figure along the border, identifying the subject and his patronage. |
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| Additional information |
Obwalden was one of the smallest and most conservative of the Swiss forest cantons, and its gold ducat issues were struck in tiny quantities for ceremonial and diplomatic purposes rather than everyday commerce. The canton lacked the mint infrastructure of larger Swiss states and contracted production intermittently, which accounts for the long nominal date range masking what were almost certainly sporadic, small-batch strikings across several decades.
The ducat standard itself — inherited from the medieval Venetian sequin — remained the preferred unit for high-value Swiss cantonal gold long after the Helvetic Republic's monetary reforms had disrupted silver coinage.