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Etschkreuzer
| Issuer | City of Zürich |
|---|---|
| Year | 1425-1487 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | HMZ 2#1112a, Hürlimann#1108 |
| Obverse description | A bold cross pattée dominates the field, its four arms extending to a beaded inner circle that separates the design from the surrounding legend. At the center of the cross, a pointed-base shield bears the quartered diaper (lattice) arms of the City of Zürich. The uncial legend is distributed in the four quadrants between the arms of the cross, reading MON THVR ICEN SIS, meaning 'Coin of Zürich.' The entire design is struck in the hammered medieval style, with characteristic irregular flan edges. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | MON THVR ICEN SIS · (Translation: Coin of Zürich.) |
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| Additional information |
Zürich's Etschkreuzer takes its name from the Etsch valley trade corridor — the Adige river route connecting the Alpine passes to northern Italy — where this denomination circulated alongside Tyrolean and Milanese issues as a practical cross-border coin. The city struck it consistently across seven decades precisely because merchants demanded a recognizable, stable small silver for trans-Alpine commerce.
The .500 fineness was a deliberate concession to regional convention rather than any degradation of civic standards.