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40 Batzen
| Issuer | Canton of Lucerne |
|---|---|
| Year | 1816-1817 |
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| Composition | Silver (.900) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | CANTON LUZERN 1816. |
| Reverse description | The denomination 40 BATZEN is boldly rendered in two lines at the centre of the field, the numeral 40 in a noticeably larger font above the word BATZEN. The entire design is encircled by a wreath composed of laurel branches on the left and oak branches on the right, tied at the base with a ribbon bow, creating a symmetrical and elegant frame typical of Swiss cantonal coinage of the early nineteenth century. |
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| Additional information |
Lucerne struck this large silver piece during the immediate aftermath of the "Year Without a Summer" — the 1816 climate catastrophe triggered by the eruption of Mount Tambora that devastated harvests across Switzerland and much of Europe. The Canton faced acute fiscal stress, and the 40 Batzen issue was part of a broader effort by Swiss cantons to assert monetary independence before the Helvetic monetary reforms consolidated coinage standards later in the century.
The HMZ reference places this among a tightly documented series of cantonal issues that effectively ended with Swiss federal unification in 1848.