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Batzen
| Issuer | City of Basel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1724 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Batzen (1⁄30) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The Basel basilisk, the heraldic creature of the city, depicted rampant and facing right at center, clutching the city's ornate crowned shield bearing the Basel crozier emblem. The creature is rendered with spread wings, taloned feet, and a crested serpentine head, in a bold relief characteristic of early 18th-century Swiss municipal coinage. A circular Latin legend surrounds the design within a beaded border: DOMINE.CONSERVA.NOS.IN.PACE (Lord, preserve us in peace). |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | DOMINE.CONSERVA.NOS.IN.PACE |
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| Additional information |
Basel's billon batzen coinage of the early eighteenth century reflects the city's persistent struggle to maintain a workable small-change supply in the face of chronic debasement across the Swiss Confederation. The batzen as a denomination had been a cornerstone of Swiss monetary reckoning since the late fifteenth century, but by the 1720s its silver content varied so dramatically between issuing authorities that merchants routinely refused foreign pieces at face value.
HMZ 2#105a places this among a tightly documented series from the Basel city mint, which operated with considerable autonomy as a Free Imperial City.