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2 Thalers
| Issuer | City of Basel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1670-1690 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the Basel crozier (episcopal staff) within an oval cartouche, surrounded by the circular Latin legend DOMINE CONSERVA NOS IN PACE. An elaborate wreath of Baroque scrollwork and foliage frames the central motif, interspersed with eight heraldic shields bearing the arms of the Basel canton and associated territories. The overall composition displays a highly ornate Baroque style characteristic of late 17th-century Swiss civic coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Detailed bird's-eye panoramic view of the city of Basel straddling the Rhine River, rendered in fine relief with towers, spires, fortifications, and bridges depicted with considerable topographic accuracy. Vessels are visible on the river, and the city's distinctive cathedral and civic buildings are prominently featured. The legend BASILEA appears in a cartouche at the top of the field, identifying the city. The finely engraved cityscape occupies virtually the entire coin surface, reflecting the high artistic standards of Basel's civic coinage of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Basel's double thaler issues of this period were minted under the authority of a city-republic that had jealously guarded its monetary independence since joining the Swiss Confederation in 1501. The specific HMZ 2-77b type spans two decades precisely because output was sporadic — these were presentation-grade pieces struck for diplomatic gifts and civic ceremony rather than commerce, which explains both their survival rates in higher condition and the absence of meaningful circulation wear on most known examples.
The Dav EC III and Dav Lg cross-references reflect how thoroughly this type was catalogued by later scholars trying to untangle Basel's overlapping thaler emissions, several of which share dies across nominal date ranges.