Thaler

The Monetary Union of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden — the three original Forest Cantons whose 1291 oath is treated as the founding moment of the Swiss Confederacy — issued thalers jointly, a practical arrangement driven by the chronic difficulty small cantons faced in sustaining independent mint operations. The 1561–62 dating reflects a two-year striking window, not unusual for a confederation pooling resources against the dominant coinage of neighboring territories.

HMZ 2-953h is a recognized variety within a series that already commands serious collector attention. Specimens come to market infrequently.