Catalog
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| Issuer | Bishopric of Sion |
|---|---|
| Year | 1498 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 28.58 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | The central device displays the episcopal arms of Bishop Niklaus Schiner, surrounded by an arrangement of sixteen heraldic shields representing the districts and lordships of Upper and Lower Valais (Wallis) and of Entremont. The shields are disposed in a circular arrangement around the central coat of arms, creating a complex heraldic composition typical of late medieval ecclesiastical coinage from the region. The arrangement reflects the political and territorial authority of the Bishop of Sion over the constituent communities of the diocese. |
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| Mintage | 1498 |
| Additional information |
Niklaus Schiner held the bishopric of Sion from 1496 until his death in 1499, making this 1498 Guldiner one of the very few coins struck under his authority. His nephew Matthäus Schiner would go on to far greater political fame — cardinal, papal legate, architect of Swiss mercenary policy for Julius II — but it was Niklaus who first secured the family's grip on the Valais episcopate. The guldiner format itself was barely a decade old when this piece was struck, Sigismund of Tyrol having pioneered the large silver thaler-weight coin in 1486.