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Batzen Klippe, 11/2 batzens weight
| Issuer | City of Zürich |
|---|---|
| Year | 1624-1633 |
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| Currency | Thaler (1621-1651) |
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| Obverse description | Within a beaded inner circle, a Spanish-style shield bearing the divided arms of Zürich — per bend sinister, the upper portion plain and the lower portion charged with a diagonal band — is superimposed at centre upon a cross fleury whose foliated terminals extend to the four cardinal points. The entire device is enclosed by a continuous Latin legend in the surrounding field, separated from the inner circle by a fine dentilated border. The overall composition reflects the bold, heraldic style characteristic of early seventeenth-century Swiss municipal coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Klippen of this type were struck at Zürich during a period when the city's mint was producing emergency or presentation square-format pieces alongside regular coinage. The 1620s and 1630s saw considerable monetary disruption across the Swiss Confederation tied to the broader instability of the Thirty Years' War, which strained trade relationships and prompted several cantons to assert tighter control over local silver issues. Whether these pieces saw genuine circulation or were struck as gifts and keepsakes is debated — the square flan survives disproportionately well, suggesting limited handling.