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8 Ducats
| Issuer | City of Bern |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796-1798 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 8 Ducats (24) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | RESPUBLICA BERNENSIS |
| Reverse description | Within a wreath of two crossed olive branches tied at the base with a small ornament, the denomination and date are inscribed in three lines: VIII / DUCAT. / 1796. The circular legend BENEDICTUS SIT IEHOVA DEUS (Blessed be the Lord God) runs around the periphery, all contained within a beaded border consistent with the obverse. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Bern struck these large gold multiples in the final years before the French invasion of February 1798, when the Helvetic Republic was imposed and the city-state's centuries-old independence was extinguished almost overnight. The timing matters: Bern's treasury was famously seized by French forces, and significant quantities of the city's gold coinage were melted or confiscated. Pieces that left Bern before the occupation survived; many that didn't, vanished into French military coffers.
The HMZ references distinguish between the 205e and 205f die pairings, suggesting at least two discrete production runs across the issue years.