Fribourg's billon coinage of the early eighteenth century was produced under the direct authority of the city-state's governing patriciate, a tightly closed oligarchy that had consolidated power following the 1684 suppression of the Chenaux uprising. The canton maintained its own mint with considerable jealousy — disputes with the Swiss Confederation over monetary standardization were ongoing throughout this period, and local issues like this schilling persisted partly as an assertion of cantonal fiscal autonomy against pressure toward regional uniformity.
The 1713–1714 window coincides with Fribourg's financial strain during the War of the Spanish Succession, when mercenary obligations and garrison costs drew heavily on municipal reserves.
Fribourg's billon coinage of the early eighteenth century was produced under the direct authority of the city-state's governing patriciate, a tightly closed oligarchy that had consolidated power following the 1684 suppression of the Chenaux uprising. The canton maintained its own mint with considerable jealousy — disputes with the Swiss Confederation over monetary standardization were ongoing throughout this period, and local issues like this schilling persisted partly as an assertion of cantonal fiscal autonomy against pressure toward regional uniformity.
The 1713–1714 window coincides with Fribourg's financial strain during the War of the Spanish Succession, when mercenary obligations and garrison costs drew heavily on municipal reserves.