Goldgulden

Zürich began striking its own goldgulden in the early sixteenth century under imperial privilege, asserting itself among the Swiss city-states capable of independent gold coinage at a moment when the Confederation's political weight was growing rapidly. The fourteen-year span of this type coincides almost exactly with the tenure of Huldrych Zwingli at the Grossmünster, though the mint's decisions were driven by trade demand rather than theology.

The .986 fineness matches the Rhenish goldgulden standard that dominated central European commerce — a deliberate choice to ensure acceptance at the fairs of Frankfurt and beyond without discounting.