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2 Guldiner - Matthaus Schiner
| Issuer | Bishopric of Sion |
|---|---|
| Year | 1501 |
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| Reference(s) | HMZ 2#1019, Dav EC I#8787 |
| Obverse description | Within an inner circle, a mitre surmounts a heraldic shield bearing the arms of Bishop Matthäus Schiner. The inner circle is enclosed by a border composed of 17 smaller shields arranged in a ring, representing the allied cantons and communities of Valais. A Latin legend runs between the inner and outer borders. The overall composition reflects the ecclesiastical and political authority of the prince-bishop. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Matthaus Schiner, the Bishop of Sion who commissioned this piece, was one of the most politically volatile churchmen of the early sixteenth century — a Swiss cardinal who allied with Julius II against France, personally led papal troops into battle, and was eventually driven from his see by the Supersaxo faction before dying in Rome in 1522. This double guldiner was struck at the very opening of that turbulent career, when Schiner had just secured the bishopric in 1499 after a bitter disputed election.
At roughly 59 grams, pieces of this denomination were among the heaviest silver coins produced in the Swiss orbit at the time. Very few were struck, and survivors in any condition are genuinely rare.