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40 Batzens Counterstamped, Ecu Louis XVI with laurel
| Issuer | Canton of Bern |
|---|---|
| Year | 1816-1819 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 29 g |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Louis XVI facing left, struck in the style of the French royal effigy. An oval Bern arms counterstamp — displaying the bear of Bern — has been applied to the field, validating the host coin for circulation within the Canton of Bern. The surrounding legend reads LUD·XVI·D·G·FR·ET·NAV·REX·, identifying the issuer as King Louis XVI of France and Navarre. The host coin is a French Écu (KM#564), struck between 1774 and 1792 at various mints. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Following the collapse of the Helvetic Republic and the reassertion of cantonal authority, Bern faced chronic small-denomination shortages without the resources or political will to strike entirely new coinage. The solution was pragmatic: existing French écus — struck under Louis XVI before his execution in 1793 — were counterstamped with Bern's bear mark and placed into circulation at 40 Batzen, a valuation tied to the local exchange rate rather than intrinsic silver content.
The use of Ancien Régime French coinage two decades after the Revolution carries its own quiet irony. KM#181.1 specifically covers the laureate-head variety, distinguished from the wigged portrait issues by the counterstamp placement.