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1/2 Thaler
| Issuer | Monetary Union of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (Old Swiss Confederacy) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1561 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large, imperially crowned double-headed eagle displayed in the field, with both heads facing outward and wings spread wide, rendered in robust hammered relief with detailed feathering. The eagle symbolizes the confederation's imperial privileges and is contained within an inner beaded border. The surrounding circular Latin legend reads DOMINE ∗ SERVA ∗ NOS ∗ IN ∗ PACE, meaning 'Lord, keep us in peace,' with the abbreviated date 61 (for 1561) appearing in the legend at the top of the coin. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The monetary union of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden — the three founding forest cantons of the Confederation — was a practical arrangement born of persistent frustration with the fractured coinage circulating across the alpine passes. By the mid-sixteenth century, each canton theoretically retained its own minting rights, yet joint issues like this half thaler were struck to facilitate trade along the St. Gotthard corridor, where a coherent medium of exchange mattered more than cantonal pride.
The HMZ 2#954d attribution places this among a small run of dated varieties. Surviving examples in any condition are genuinely uncommon.