World coins chat: Swiss Cantons

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The Swiss Cantons refer to the political entities that existed in present-day Switzerland before the establishment of a federal republic in 1848. Most of these entities were part of the old Swiss Confederacy, an alliance of cantons that existed from around 1300 until the French invasion in 1798. Its successor was the Helvetian Republic, but the Confederacy was restored in 1803. A short civil war led to the founding of the federal republic in 1848, which still exists today.


A map of the old Swiss Confederacy. The colours indicate the era in which the cantons joined the union. In dark purple the founding cantons of Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Uri.

History
During the Middle Ages all of Switzerland was part of the Holy Roman Empire. As the empire became a loose federation of competing feudal states, a number of Swiss cantons formed an alliance in 1291. It was centered around the canton of Schwyz from which Switzerland derives its name.

Situated between Habsburg and Burgundy lands, more states joined the Swiss Confederacy, which proved effective during the Burgundy Wars of 1470. The next century the Reformation changed the religious situation in Switzerland, with the majority turning to Protestantism. However, the Swiss remained officially subject to the Holy Roman Emperor until the Thirty Year War (1618-1648) that swept through most of Europe resulted in the Confederacy becoming an independent state.


A plaque that shows all cantons of the Swiss Confederation. The motto 'Einer für alle, alle für einen' (One for all, all for one) is also associated with the folk stories of William Tell which originates from Switzerland.

Helvetic Republic (1798-1803)
The Confederacy came to an end after a Napoleon-led French invasion in 1798, and was replaced by a French client state known as the Helvetic Republic. The Swiss opposed the centralist governance of the new state and negotiated a compromise in 1803, reestablishing the Confederacy.

Mediation, Restoration and Regeneration (1803-1848)
The Mediation lasted until Napoleon's defeat in 1814. Thereafter the political structures from before 1798 were restored, much to the discontent of the more liberal factions in Swiss society. The July Revolution of 1830 in France also had its effects in Switzerland, with the liberal protestants clashing more and more with conservative catholics from other regions. This led to a period of instability and even a civil war in 1847. After a ceasefire it was decided to establish a very decentralised federal republic in 1848, which still exists today.

Currency
Swiss Confederacy (1291-1798)
The Swiss monetary systems were based on the Thaler, a large silver coin of around 25 grams of pure silver, depending on the standards used of the particular canton. A Thaler was generally divided in 2 Gulden or 120 Kreuzer, but rates could vary across canton and also in time.

A Batzen was a small silver coin worth 4 Kreuzer. Smaller denominations were the Rappen or Pfennig worth ½ Kreuzer and the Heller worth ½ Rappen.

Helvetic Republic until Federal Republic (1798-1848)
The French centralised the Swiss monetary system by introducing the first version of the Swiss Franc, which was worth ¼ Berner Thaler or 1½ French Franc. It was divided in 10 Batzen each of 10 Rappen. Other denominations were the Louis d'Or of 10 Francs and the Kreuzer which was still ¼ Batzen but 2½ Rappen in the decimalised system.

After the Act of Mediation in 1803 the cantons issued their own currencies again, although most of them maintained the Franc system of the Helvetic Republic. The old Swiss Franc was eventually replaced in 1850 by a new one that was at par with the French one and followed the standards of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU).

In the 19th century the first Shooting Thalers were minted at a value of 4 Francs to commemorate yearly shooting festivals. These coins are famous for their design and highly sought after by collectors. After 1848 this practice was continued with 5 Francs coins of the LMU standard.

Canton descriptions

Aargau
Located in northern Switzerland near the German border, Aargau's history is marked by being disputed territory between the Swiss Confederacy and the Holy Roman Empire. It only became a canton in 1803, having been ruled by Bern before 1798. Because of this only 19th century Franc coinage exists of this canton.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/aargau-1.html

Appenzell
Appenzell is a region in northern Switzerland completely surrounded by Sankt Gallen that consists of two cantons: Appenzell-Innerrhoden and Appenzell-Ausserrhoden. The split happened in 1597 along catholic and protestant lines respectively. Earlier in 1403 the Appenzellers had achieved independence after a revolt against the Abbey of Sankt Gallen.

In 1991, the mostly catholic canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden was the last to allow women the right to vote on local issues, as the restriction was deemed in violation of Switzerland's federal constitution.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/appenzell-1.html

Basel
Basel (French: Bâle) is a Swiss city located at a bend of the Rhine river close to the border with France and Germany. It was the capital of a prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire from 1032. In 1501 the city of Basel and surrounding lands joined the Swiss Confederacy as the Canton of Basel, but the larger remaining part continued as a part of the Holy Roman Empire until 1803. So the canton and the bishopric existed next to each other for centuries belonging to different political entities.

After the Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) most of the former bishopric was ceded to the Canton of Bern and some smaller territories to the Grand Duchy of Baden of the German Confederation. The modern Canton of Jura, formed as recent as 1979 and which consists mostly of French-speaking Catholics in contrast to German-speaking Protestants, was actually formed out of territory that previously belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Basel.

The Canton of Basel split itself in 1833 after a dispute between the city's elite and the peasantry of the surrounding lands. Hard to imagine that Switzerland was the scene of emotions turning violent but in those days it was a very different place. There have been, so far unsuccessful, attempts at reunifying the cantons of Basel-City and Basel-Country.

The currency of Basel was the Thaler, worth 30 Schilling each of 9 Rappen or 18 Pfennig. The Thaler was also worth 27 Batzen, each of 4 Kreuzer. In the late 18th century sources indicate a Thaler was 30 Batzen, each of 4 Kreuzer or 8 Rappen.

Bishopric of Basel (until 1798):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/basel_bishopric-1.html

Basel City (until 1798):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/basel_city-1.html

Basel canton (1803-1833):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/basel-1.html

Bern
The Canton of Bern is located in west-central Switzerland and named after its main city. Although the city of Bern is generally regarded as the capital of Switzerland, it is official no more than a 'federal city' and the seat of the Swiss federal government.

The Bern region was part of Burgundy in the Middle Ages, but split into many counties and some imperial cities in the 12th and 13th centuries. Wary of Habsburg power in the region, Bern joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1353 and meanwhile absorbed large territories in its vicinity, becoming the largest and most powerful canton of the old confederacy. With the establishment of the Helvetic Republic Bern had to grant cantonal status to for instance Vaud.

The Berne Thaler became the leading currency of Switzerland, and the first Swiss Franc was based on it (Thaler = 4 Francs). The Berne Thaler was divided in 40 Batzen, each of 4 Kreuzer, 8 Vierer or 32 Haller.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/bern-1.html

Chur
Chur is a city in the Canton of Graubünden in south east Switzerland. Before 1798 Chur was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The city was semi-autonomous, and surrounded by a prince-bisopric of the same name. Together with surrounding territories Chur was part of the Grey League which allied itself with the Swiss Confederation in 1498. Only in 1798 the Grey League became part of Switzerland, when Napoleon added it to the Helvetic Republic. One could say that Chur's coinage was as much part of the German states as it was part of Switzerland.

Chur's coinage was based on the Thaler = 90 Kreuzer. The Gulden was 20 Groschen, 60 Kreuzer, 70 Bluzgen or 240 Pfennige.

Bishopric of Chur:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/chur_bishopric-1.html

City of Chur:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/chur_city-1.html

Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is located in western Switzerland and is named after its main city. Its German name is Freiburg im Üechtland, not to be confused with Freiburg in Breisgau in south west Germany. Fribourg has a French-speaking majority and a Swiss German-speaking minority.

Fribourg was founded in 1157 by the dukes of Zähringen. It became a Habsburg territory in 1277 who in turn ceded it to the Duchy of Savoy in 1452. Although initially an enemy of the Canton of Bern, it joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481.

Fribourg's currency was the Gulden, divided in 14 Batzen each of 4 Kreuzer or 16 Deniers. In 1798 it was replaced by the Frank of the Helvetian Republic. From 1806 until 1836 Fribourg minted its own coins in this currency. It was replaced by the modern Swiss Franc in 1850.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/fribourg-1.html

Geneva
Geneva is a city and canton in the western tip of Switzerland almost completely surrounded by France. Despite its size it is a global city, as it hosts international headquarters of many institutions, including the UN, that have chosen Switzerland for its neutrality and stability. It also helped that Geneva is French-speaking, which was the preferred language of international diplomacy until the late 20th century.

Geneva was a prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire from 1154 until 1541, but the prince-bishop had in fact already handed power to city officials in 1290. From 1416 the Dukes of Savoy claimed the city, which as a result allied itself with the Swiss Confederation for protection, but it did not join it. Only after the Napoleonic Wars Geneva became the 22nd canton of Switzerland in 1815.

Geneva's currency was the Florin, divided in 12 Sols or 144 Deniers. Until 1813 the larger unit was the French Écu, also named Thaler, worth 10½ Florins or 126 Sols. Consequently a French Livre was worth 3½ Florins or 42 Sols. A coin of 3 Deniers was referred to as a Quart (¼ Sol) and 1½ Deniers was known as Fort. In addition, to facilitate trade with neighbouring France, Geneva minted coins of 10½ and 21 Sols which were worth ¼ and ½ Livre respectively. The gold Ducat was valued at 24 Florins and the gold Pistole at 35 Florins or 10 Livres.

During Napoleonic times in 1794 a short-lived decimalised currency named Genevoise circulated, but the old system did not disappear. In 1798 the French Franc was introduced as France had annexed Geneva.

In 1813 the Berner Thaler became model for Geneva's currency. It was valued at 12¾ Florins or 153 Sols. In 1839 the Genevan Franc, equal to the French one, was adopted in the canton. It was replaced by the Swiss Franc at par in 1850.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/geneva-1.html

Glarus
Glarus is a canton in eastern Switzerland. It was one of the first to join the Swiss Confederacy, which it did in 1352. Before this Glarus had been an abbey founded by the Irish monk Saint Fridolin, who is still the canton's patron saint today.

Glarus' coinage dates from the era between the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) and the establishment of modern Switzerland in 1848. The unit of account was the Swiss Franc used in most cantons, divided in 100 Rappen. But in Glarus there was a parallel system of a Gulden = 40 Schilling = 120 Rappen.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/glarus-1.html

Graubünden
Graubünden is a canton in south east Switzerland. Its area is relatively large but the canton is quite sparsely populated due to its mountainous geography. Its inhabitants' native languages are Swiss German, Italian and Romansh. Graubünden is the canton's German name, and it is known as Grigioni, Grischons and Grisons in the other three Swiss languages. But all these names mean the same, as the refer to the Grey League, an alliance of local states that was allied to (but not part of) the Switzerland before 1798, when Napoleon added them to the Helvetic Republic. Before the territories of Chur, Haldenstein and Reichenau were separate coin issuing entities that were politically part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Graubünden's coinage dates from the early 19th century when a majority of cantons issued its own coins of the First Swiss Franc. In Graubünden these were coins denominated in Batzen and Franc, with 10 Batzen worth a Franc. Coins of 1/6 Batzen were minted, which effectively was a Bluzgen, a coin that circulated in Chur until the 18th century.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/graubunden-1.html

Haldenstein
Haldenstein is a village in the Canton of Graubünden. Originally part of the Bishopric of Chur, it was a lordship in the Holy Roman Empire from 1424 until 1803, independent of the neighbouring Three Leagues that eventually formed Graubünden. Haldenstein's monetary system was equal to Chur's.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/haldenstein_city-1.html

Catalogue links
Coins of the Swiss cantons:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/suisse_cantons-1.html

Coins of the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) and Switzerland (1850-date):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/suisse-1.html
So I added some of the canton descriptions to this article. It is becoming a bit long but nevertheless I hope it's insightful for those interested.

I actually own 3 coins from Geneva, 2 from Fribourg and 1 from Neuchatel. That actually compares with 0 from Austrian states. I might show some pictures of them later.

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