Switzerland's Federal Constitution of 1848 established the modern Confederation from a patchwork of sovereign cantons that had just fought a brief but decisive civil war — the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847 — lasting less than a month and producing fewer than 100 combat deaths. The 1998 commemorative marks the 150th anniversary of that document, which also centralized coinage authority and ended the chaotic multi-canton currency system that had produced over 800 distinct coin types.
Switzerland's Federal Constitution of 1848 established the modern Confederation from a patchwork of sovereign cantons that had just fought a brief but decisive civil war — the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847 — lasting less than a month and producing fewer than 100 combat deaths. The 1998 commemorative marks the 150th anniversary of that document, which also centralized coinage authority and ended the chaotic multi-canton currency system that had produced over 800 distinct coin types.