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5 Ducats
| Issuer | Republic of Bern |
|---|---|
| Year | 1701 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central crowned oval shield bearing the arms of Bern — a diagonal bend with a walking bear — supported on the left by a rampant bear and on the right by a rampant lion, both standing on a decorative scrollwork base. The mintmaster's initials DB appear below the shield at center. The circular legend MONETA REIPVBLICÆ BERNENSIS DB runs along the upper periphery, interrupted by a small floral ornament, within a finely milled border. The composition is rendered in high relief in the elaborate Baroque heraldic style characteristic of early eighteenth-century Swiss canton coinage. |
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| Edge | Milled |
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| Additional information |
Bern's multi-ducat issues of this period were prestige strikes — produced not for commercial circulation but for presentation to visiting dignitaries, military officers, and foreign ambassadors. The 1701 date places this piece at the cusp of the War of the Spanish Succession, a conflict in which Bern's strategic position as a neutral but heavily armed canton made it a target for diplomatic overture from both Bourbon and Habsburg camps.
The Divo/Tobler reference 467b designation indicates a specific die variant within what is already a small surviving population for this type.