A shooting thaler ( ; ; ) is a

silver coin Silver coins are one of the oldest mass-produced form of coinage. Silver has been used as a coinage metal since the times of the Greeks; their silver drachmas were popular trade coins. The ancient Persians used silver coins between 612–330 B ...

thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...

size minted to commemorate a

Schützenfest A Schützenfest (, '' marksmen's festival'') is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on thei ...

(French: ''Fête de tir'') or free shooting (German: ''Freischiessen'', French: ''Tir libre'') in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. In a narrow sense, Swiss ''Schützentaler'' are the silver coins equal in size and weight to the Swiss 5 francs coin minted on the occasion of one of the '' Eidgenössische Schützenfeste'', or federal shooting festivals. Two such coins were issued by the cantonal mints of Graubünden (1842, denominated at 4 Swiss francs), and

Glarus Glarus (; ; ; ; ) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2011, the municipality of Glarus incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern.Batzen The batzen is a historical Swiss, south German, and Austrian coin. It was first produced in Bern, Switzerland, from 1492 and remained in use there until the mid-19th century. Name Bernese chronicler Valerius Anshelm explained the word throu ...

'') prior to the establishment of the Federal Mint. Sometimes included as "shooting thaler" is a double thaler (10 francs) coin minted by

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

and donated as cash prizes to the 1851 festival. The Federal Mint has issued fifteen such coins with the nominal value of five francs, between 1855 and 1885. These coins were not intended as legal tender, even though they were issued by the federal mint with a nominal face value. Because they were minted to the official specifications of the 5 francs coin, they were nevertheless circulated ''de facto''.Swissmint FAQ
p. 9, citing ''Revue Suisse de Numismatique'', 1894, p. 56. After 1885, the federal mint was dissuaded from minting these semi-official coins on the part of the

Latin Monetary Union The Monetary Convention of 23 December 1865 was a unified system of coinage that provided a degree of monetary integration among several European countries, initially Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland, at a time when the circulation of bank ...

. After the demise of the Monetary Union, the Swiss federal mint issued two further Schützentaler, in 1934 and 1939, for a total of twenty distinct ''Schützentaler'' (3 cantonal, 17 federal). Of the 22 cantons of the

Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...

, 18 are represented in these coins, the exceptions being

Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), off Malakula Island in V ...

Appenzell Appenzell () was a cantons of Switzerland, canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen, in existence from 1403 to 1597. Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered ...

Aargau Aargau ( ; ), more formally the Canton of Aargau (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capital is Aarau. Aargau is one of the most nort ...

and

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

. Most of the designs in the series depict strongly patriotic themes, frequently depicting the federal personification

Helvetia Helvetia () is a national personification of Switzerland, officially , the Swiss Confederation. The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing clothing, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Flag of Switzerland, Swiss flag, and commo ...

alongside a cantonal or city personification, in some cases alluding to specific historical events. The entire series can be distinguished from the much more varied genre of shooting medals (''Schützenmedaillen'') by their adherence to the specifications of circulating coinage (with the exception of the three cantonal specimens, the Swiss 5 francs coin). All but the

Stans Stans () is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Nidwalden (Nidwald) in Switzerland. The official language of Stans is German language, German (spoken there in the variety of Swiss Standard German), but the main language is the ...

(1861) and St. Gallen (1874) issues are denominated. The term ''Schützentaler'' has been revived for commercially produced

commemorative coins A commemorative coin is a coin issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Some coins of this category serve as collector's items only, while most commemora ...

of thaler size offered on the collector's market since the 1980s.

History

The first shooting

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

s were struck in honor of the Officers' Shoot held in

Langenthal Langenthal is a town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Oberaargau (administrative district), Oberaargau in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Untersteckholz merged into the ...

, Bern, in 1822.Krause, p. 11Krause, p. 10 Shooting medals continued to be made in great numbers, minted in a variety of metals, including silver, bronze, gold and white metal. The first shooting thalers were cantonal pieces, minted in the 1840s by Grisons and Glarus as sovereign cantons of the Restored Confederacy. These two thalers were strictly legal tender, issued under the same conditions as other circulating coins of the period.F. Haas, ''Eine Streitfrage: Sind die eidgenössischen Schützenfestthaler mit der Werthbezeichnung 4 Franken (alte) und 5 Franken in eine Verkehrs-Münzensammlung aufzunehmen oder nicht?'' ("A controversial question: should the federal shooting festival thalers with denomination 4 francs (old) and 5 francs be included in a collection of circulating coins or should they not?"), ''Revue numismatique de suisse'' 3 (1893)
354f.
/ref> For the 1851 festival, Geneva, already as a canton of the

but before the federal mint had become fully operational, issued a 10 francs piece. This is sometimes included as a "shooting thaler", even though the shooting festival is in no way alluded to in the coin design. The Geneva issue of 1851, with a mintage of only 1,000 pieces, is the rarest of the shooting thalers, and has consequently attained the highest collector's value, selling for upward of CHF 1,500. All nineteenth-century federal shooting thaler issues were minted to legal fineness, and were given the denomination of five

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

.Bruce, p. 455 But from 1865, Switzerland was a member of the

, Kenen, Peter B. & Meade, Ellen E. (2008). ''Regional Monetary Integration'' Cambridge, United Kingdom:

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

. and since the shooting thalers were not included in the mintages authorized by the Union, they are considered semi-medallic, and not technically legal tender even though they did circulate ''de facto'', and their circulation was tolerated by the federal authorities. The classification of the federally issued shooting thalers as circulating currency was discussed controversially in the late 19th century. Haas (1893) argues for their recognition as such. He cites the fact that for three decades, these coins were circulated ''de facto'' without intervention on the part of the federal authority. In addition, the 1855 thaler was minted as a regular 5 francs coin with the only exception of the shooting festival being mentioned in the inscription on the coin's edge. The last thaler of this series is the 1885

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

issue. After this time, Switzerland was dissuaded from further issuing these semi-official coins by the Latin Monetary Union. Although the term ''Schützentaler'' is mostly reserved for the Swiss tradition, some German mints in the 19th century have also issued commemorative coins for ''Schützenfeste''. Examples include the German States of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

and

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

, In 1927, the Monetary Union ceased to exist. Mintage began on a new series of shooting thalers in 1934 in honor of the shooting festival in

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

, and another design was issued in 1939 for the

Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

festival. The 1934 issue was the last official shooting thaler that matched the circulating counterpart in both diameter and weight. The 1939 issues were not the same size and weight as their circulating counterparts, but both issues were redeemable only at the shooting festival or participating businesses. The federal festival, and with it the production of shooting thalers, was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. For the federal festivals of 1949 to 1977, commemorative coins were made but not to official specifications. With the rising popularity of collecting commemorative coins in the 1980s, fine silver coins dubbed ''Schützentaler'' have been privately issued for cantonal and federal festivals.

Cantonal issues

Chur (1842)

*Year: 1842 *Location: Chur *Denomination: 4 francs *Designer(s): Karl Friedrich Voigt *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 6,000 *Notes: 1,744 pieces melted in 1852, for an upper limit of 4,256 surviving pieces. White metal and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

pieces are known to have been struck. The zinc pieces were allegedly fixed in the center of a target during the shooting festival. If hit, the shooter would be given a larger award.Richter, p. 161

Glarus (1847)

*Year: 1847 *Location:

Geneva (1851)

*Year: 1851 *Location: Geneva *Denomination: 10 francs *Designer(s): Antoine BovyMedalist Antoine Bovy (1795–1877) of Geneva, French citizenship 1835, employed by the federal mint for the Swiss franc coins in 1850/51 and 1873/4. *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 1,000Richter, p. 113 *Notes: These coins are not technically "shooting thalers", as the shooting festival is in no way mentioned or alluded to in the design. They are, rather, a batch of 1,000 double thaler (10 francs, 52 grams) coins minted by the canton of Geneva specifically as cash prizes that could be won at the festival.At a mintage of 1,000 pieces, this coin is today traded for upward of CHF 1,500: Auctioned for CHF 1,600 in 2018
Sincona Auction 47 - Part 2, Lot 3378

schweizer-geld.ch
CHF 1750 for "fine" condition, CHF 2500 for "very fine" condition (as of 2020).

Federal issues (1855–1885)

Solothurn (1855)

*Year: 1855 *Location:

Solothurn Solothurn ( ; ; ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. The town is ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designers: Friedrich Fisch, S. Burger, Karl Friedrich Voigt *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 3,000Richter, p. 209 *Design: *:Obv.: Seated figure of

, holding shield with the federal coat of arms, pointing left, with mountains and ears of corn, ''HELVETIA'' *:''5 Fr. 1855'', wreath of oak leaves and gentian *:Edge: ''EIDGEN. FREISCHIESEN SOLOTHURN 1855'' *Notes: The design is identical to the regular federal 5 franc issues in use at the time, except for the inscription on the edge. Imitations (made from genuine 5 francs coins of 1850) were reported as early as 1890.

Bern (1857)

*Year: 1857 *Location: Bern *Denomination: 5 francs *Designer(s): Ferdinand Korn *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 5,191Richter, p. 60; ''Münzgeschichte der Schweiz'' 35 (1896), p. 33. *Design: *:Obv.: Standing figure of a soldier with musket, ''EHRE IST MEIN HOECHSTES ZIEL.'' ("Honour is my highest aim"), signature ''KORN''. *:Rev.: Two crossing rifles, Swiss cross in splendour in a wreath, ''5 FRANKEN'', ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES FREISCHIESSEN IN BERN 1857.'' *Notes: Examples are known to have been struck in white metal. The only known "Class II" specimen of the 1804 dollar, now in the National Numismatic Collection, was struck over an 1857 shooting thaler.

Zürich (1859)

*Year: 1859 *Location: Zürich *Denomination: 5 francs *Designer(s): Ferdinand Korn *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 6,000 *Design: *:Obv.: Standing figure of a soldier with rifle, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES FREISCHIESSEN'', ''1859'', signature ''KORN'' *:Rev.: Two cantonal coats of arms under a federal coat of arms, supported by two lions. ''ZÜRICH'', ''5 FRANKEN''.

Nidwalden (1861)

*Year: 1861 *Location:

Nidwalden Canton of Nidwalden or Nidwald ( ; ; ; ) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Stans. It is traditionally considered a " half-canto ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer(s): Antoine Bovy, Ferdinand Schlöth *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 6,000Richter, p. 193 *Design: *:Obv.: The planned Winkelried monument in Stans,The monument by Ferdinand Schlöth was at the time unfinished, commissioned in 1855 but inaugurated only in 1865. ''ARNOLD WINKELRIED'', signature ''A. BOVY'' *:Rev.: Swiss cross in splendour, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN NIDWALDEN – 1861'' *Notes: Essai pieces are known to have been struck in white metal.

La Chaux-de-Fonds (1863)

*Year: 1863 *Location:

La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds (; archaic ) is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura Mountains at an altitude of 992 metres, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne, Biel/Bienne, and Fribourg, ...

Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer(s): Antoine Bovy, Jacob Siber *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 6,000Richter, p. 180 *Design: *:Obv.: Seated Helvetia figure, ''HELVETIA – 5 FRANCS'' *:Rev.:

cantonal coat of arms (the new coat of arms introduced after the 1857 Neuchâtel Crisis) with two rifles and two flags in saltire and a wreath, under a Swiss cross in splendour, ''TIR FEDERAL A LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS – JUILLET 1863'', signature ''SIBER'' *Notes: Examples are known to have been struck in white metal.

Schaffhausen (1865)

*Year: 1865 *Location:

Schaffhausen Schaffhausen (; ; ; ; ), historically known in English as Shaffhouse, is a list of towns in Switzerland, town with historic roots, a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of Schaffh ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Antoine Bovy *Diameter: *Coinage metal: silver *Mintage: 10,000Richter, p. 199 *Design: *:Obv.: The city personification seated, holding a wreath, with the federal coat of arms on the seat, the Munot tower in the background, her left hand resting on the shoulder of Tell's son holding the pierced apple. *:Rev.: The Schaffhausen coat of arms in front of a Swiss cross in a Gothic ornament, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN SCHAFFHAUSEN 1865 – 5 Fr.'', signature ''A. BOVY'' *Notes: Two examples are known to have been struck in gold. There are forgeries in magnetic alloy.

Schwyz (1867)

*Year: 1867 *Location:

Schwyz Schwyz (; ; ) is a town and the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the ''Bundesbriefmuseum''. The of ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Antoine Bovy *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 8,000 *Design: *:Obv.: A lion rampant, holding a sword, supporting the cantonal shield. The lion's right back paw standing on a bow andquiver of arrows, the two

Mythen The Grosser Mythen (also ''Grosse Mythe'') is a mountain in the Schwyzer Alps of Central Switzerland. The mountain lies in the canton of Schwyz, to the east of the town of Schwyz, and to the south of the village of Alpthal in the valley of the ...

peaks in the background, ''KANTON SCHWYZ'', signature ''A. BOVY'' *:Rev.: A variety of weapons and four banners crossed behind the federal shield, wreath below, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN SCHWYZ 1867 – 5 Fr.''

Zug (1869)

*Year: 1869 *Location:

Zug Zug (Standard German: , Alemannic German: ; ; ; ; )Named in the 16th century. is the largest List of cities in Switzerland, town and capital of the Swiss canton of Zug. Zug is renowned as a hub for some of the wealthiest individuals in the wor ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Antoine Bovy *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 6,000Richter, p. 293 *Design: *:Obv.: A medieval soldier with sword and half-armour, holding a halberd in his right hand, holding the cantonal banner in his left, ''HANS LANDWING RETTET DAS PANNER BEI ARBEDO'' ("Hans Landwing saves the banner at Arbedo"), ''1422'', signature ''A. BOVY SC.^T'' *:Rev.:Feathered cap over the federal and cantonal shields, superimposed over crossed rifles and a wreath of oak and laurel, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST 1869 IN ZUG. 5 Fr.'' *Notes: Four examples are known to have been struck in gold.

Zürich (1872)

*Year: 1872 *Location: Zürich *Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Fritz Landry *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 10,000Richter, p. 301 *Design: *:Obv.: The city personification standing, resting her right arm on the Zürich shield, her left holding aloft a wreath, at her feet gears and crops and a view of the lake, ''FÜR FREIHEIT UND VATERLAND'' ("for liberty and fatherland"), signature ''F. LANDRY'' *:Rev.: The federal shield superimposed over a fasces and two crossed rifles, with the

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

''ALLE FÜR EINEN – EINER FÜR ALLE'' (" all for one, one for all"), surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES. SCHÜTZENFEST. IN. ZÜRICH. 1872. 5 Fr.'' *Notes: The obverse design was also used for shooting medals issued for the same festival.

St. Gallen (1874)

*Year: 1874 *Location: St. Gallen *Denomination: 5 francs *Designers: Fritz Landry, Antoine Bovy *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 15,000 *Design: *:Obv.:

Adrian von Bubenberg Adrian von Bubenberg (born c. 1424 in Bern; died August 1479 in Bern) was a Bernese knight, military commander and mayor of Bern, mayor (''Schultheiss'') of Bern in 1468-1469, 1473-1474 and 1477-1479. In Switzerland, he is remembered as the hero o ...

before the

Battle of Murten The Battle of Morat took place during the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) that was fought on 22 June 1476 between Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, and a Swiss Confederation army at Morat (Murten), about 30 kilometres from Bern Bern ...

: A kneeling knight, helmet deposited on the ground, holding the federal standard in his left, pointing with his sword to the left, in the background the rising Sun and the town of Murten, the Bernese troops shown on the right margin, ''1474 A 1476'', legend ''A. BOVY F.^T'' *:Rev.: Coat of arms of St. Gallen superimposed over crossed rifles and wreath of oak and laurel. Swiss cross above, city view behind, ''EIDGENÖSS. SCHÜTZENFEST IN S.^T GALLEN – 1874'' *Notes: The scene references an episode before the battle: while the Bernese were in prayer, the sun burst from its cloud cover, and Bubenberg is said to have exclaimed "forth, brethren, God is illuminating our victory!". The same composition was used by Durussel for a tin medal commemorating the battle in the same year.

Lausanne (1876)

*Year: 1876 *Location:

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Edouard Durussel *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 20,000Richter, p. 274 *Design: *:Obv.: Helvetia and the personification of Vaud shaking hands, Vaud holding a wine goblet, cantonal and federal shields, flags and fasces in the background, flanked by grape vines and mountain scenery, ''1836 · 1876'' (1836 is the date of the first federal shooting festival in Lausanne), ''POUR · ETRE · FORTS SOYONS · UNIS ·'' ("to be strong, let us be united"), ''5 F'', signature ''DURUSSEL'' *:Rev.: View of the city of Lausanne, ''TIR FÉDÉRAL DE 1876 LAUSANNE'' *Notes: The reverse design was used on a shooting medal issued for the same festival.

Basel (1879)

*Year: 1879 *Location:

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Edouard Durussel *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 30,000Richter, p. 45 *Design: *:Obv.: Standing Swiss soldier in Renaissance garb with Bidenhänder and

Katzbalger A () is a short arming sword, used in early modern Europe notable for its sturdy build and a distinctive s-shaped or figure-8 shaped guard. Measuring long and weighing , it was the signature blade of the ''Landsknecht''. Overview The is a si ...

, ''DAS SCHWERT ZUR HAND IM HERZEN GOTT SO WIRD D. SCHWEIZER NIE Z. SPOTT'' ("With sword in his hand and God in his heart, so will the Swiss never be disgraced"), signatures ''LANDERER'', ''DURUSSEL''. *:Rev.: Basel coat of arms supported by the basilisk in a circle of the 22 cantonal coats of arms, ''EIDG. SCHÜTZENFEST IN BASEL 1879'', ''5 Fr''. *Notes: Two varieties exist. One variety depicts rays between the sword and leg, while the other does not. Examples are known to have been struck in white metal.

Fribourg (1881)

*Year: 1881 *Location:

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer: Edouard Durussel *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 30,000 *Design: *:Obv.: Two Swiss soldiers, one wielding a crossbow and the other a halberd, supporting Fribourg and Solothurn shields, respectively, seated at the feet of Helvetia holding the federal flag, ''ENTRÉE DE FRIBOURG & SOLEURE DANS LA CONFÉDÉRATION SUISSE 1481'' ("Entry of Fribourg and Solothurn into the Swiss Confederation, 1481"), signature ''E. DURUSSEL''. *:Rev.: Swiss cross in splendour above a city view of Fribourg, ''TIR FÉDÉRAL À FRIBOURG 1881'', ''5 Fr''.

Lugano (1883)

*Year: 1883 *Location:

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

*Denomination: 5 francs *Designer(s): Edouard Durussel *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 30,000 *Design: *:Obv.: Seated Helvetia with

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

as river god, Helvetia is holding a sword and federal shield, Ticino an oar with cantonal colours, both are sitting on the Gotthard Tunnel (opened 1882), from which a locomotive is emerging, ''LIBERTADE INERME É DE' TIRANNI AGEVOL PREDA'' ("Defenseless liberty is easy prey for tyrants"), ''5 Fr'', signature ''E. DURUSSEL''. *:Rev.: Shield of Lugano with Gothic ornaments, superimposed over two rifles, two banners and a laurel branch, a feathered cap and cloak resting on the shield, view of the lake and city on the right, ''TIRO FEDERALE IN LUGANO 1883''.

Bern (1885)

*Year: 1885 *Location: Bern *Denomination: 5 francs *Designers: Edouard Durussel, Christian Bühler *Diameter: *Coinage metal: Silver *Mintage: 25,000Richter, p. 62 *Design: *:Obv.: Standing Helvetia holding sword and federal shield, in front of the Bernese bear, her left hand resting on the bear's shoulder, ''DEM BUND ZUM SCHUTZ DEM FEIND ZUM TRUTZ'' ("To protect the federation, to defy the enemy"), signature ''E. DURUSSEL''. *:Rev.: Bernese coat of arms superimposed over crossed rifles, wreath of oak leaves and gentian, Swiss cross in splendour above, ''EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN BERN · 1885'', ''5 Fr.'', signature ''C. BÜHLER INV.'' *Notes: Examples are known to have been struck in white metal.

Federal issues (1934–1939)

The shooting thalers of 1934 and 1939 were the final two specimens issued by the Swiss federal mint. They did have the traditional denomination of 5 francs, but with the added instruction that the coins were only redeemable for this amount at the festival itself. The 1934 coin had the legend ''Bon de 5 Fr. remboursable avant le 31 août 1934'' ("voucher for 5 francs redeemable before 31 August 1934") and the 1939 one had ''Einlösbar bis 31. August 1939'' ("redeemable until 31 August 1939). They are minted to the new specification for 5 franc coins, reduced from 37 mm, 25 grams Ag 90% (22.5 g fine silver) to 31 mm, 15 grams Ag 83.5% (12.525 g fine silver), and thus no longer of "

" size.

Medals

Medals (1829–1853)

No medals were struck to commemorate the first modern ''Eidgenössische Schützenfest'' in 1824. Likewise, there is no medal from the second festival in 1827, and only shooting tokens (''jetons'') but no actual medals from the third in 1828. The first silver medal made for a federal shooting festival was issued for the fourth festival of 1829, in Fribourg, as a shooting prize. For the fifth festival in Bern, in 1830, a purely commemorative silver medal was made. After this, there is again a gap of a full decade, interrupted only by a lead prize medal sponsored by the town of Ragaz for the 1838 festival in St. Gallen. The eleventh festival, Chur 1842, was the first for which there is a cantonal issue shooting thaler. For 1844, in Basel, there was again a commemorative silver medal. The 1849 festival in Aarau issued a commemorative medal, strictly not for the current festival but commemorative of the first festival 25 years before. This was followed by another commemorative medal for the 1853 festival in Lucerne, the final such medal predating the introduction of federal issue shooting thalers in 1855. The silver medals of 1830 and 1844 are thus the first commemorative silver medals for federal festivals. Of these two medals, numerous copies were made around 1890. It is unclear whether these were forgeries intended to deceive or if they were openly sold as copies at the time, but in either case, they have no distinguishing marks and are difficult to tell from the originals.

Medals (1887–1929)

Silver medals for the federal festivals of 1887–1929 are sometimes referred to as ''Schützentaler''. Most of these were also minted in bronze and in gold. The medals of 1887 to 1901 were minted in full

size (or somewhat larger), with a diameter of 45 mm and a silver weight above 38 grams. Beginning in 1904, the medals became smaller, in 1924 reduced to 10 grams of silver (reflecting the silver ''hausse'' in the wake of the First World War).

Medals (1949–1990)

The federal festivals had commemorative medals minted in silver and gold. These do not have a face value in francs and are typically called ''Schützenmedaille'' rather than ''Schützentaler''. The designs of the medals for the 1949 to 1979 festivals abandoned the classicist style of

Romantic nationalism Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

prevalent in the 19th to early 20th century thalers, and follow the artistic tastes of their time, tending towards minimalistic or postmodernist styles (a trend already perceptible in the modernized designs of the federal 1939 issue and one of the two variants made for the 1924 festival). The 1949 medal was the last to be produced at the federal mint, still bearing the ''B'' mint mark and no fineness stamp, as it was still made at the 83.5% fineness of the 5 francs coins of the time. The medals of 1954 onward are made by ''Huguenin Frères'' (HF) and are marked with a 900/1000 fineness stamp.

CIT collector coins (1990 to present)

Beginning in 1982, commemorative medals in gold and silver have been produced for various local shooting events by the private company CIT "Coin Invest Trust" based in

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Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

, in collaboration with Huguenin Frères (since 2002 named Faude & Huguenin SA) of

Le Locle Le Locle (; ) is a Communes of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is situated in the Jura Mountains, a few kilometers from the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is the third smallest city in Switzerland (in Swit ...

. The privately produced 1982 "Schützentaler" was offered in Platinum and Palladium alongside silver and saw "phenomenal" sales in the collectors' market especially in the United States.50 Jahre CIT Coin Invest
''Münzenwoche'' 19 December 2019. Encouraged by this success, CIT Coin Invest went on to produce yearly issues at least nominally associated with selected Swiss shooting events, and in designs loosely reminiscent of the aesthetics of the 19th-century Schützentaler. Their design for the 1984 Feldschiessen in

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features the seated 1850 Helvetia design by Friedrich Fisch and a depiction of the

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monument by Richard Kissling (1895). The 1990 design for the Winterthur festival once again shows the embracing figures of Helvetia and the city personification, and crossed muskets with a laurel wreath, albeit in modernized, slightly cartoonish art style. The same company has also offered "Schützentaler" for the federal shooting festival from 1990 onward. The 1990 festival still had a separate official commemorative coin in modern design, and the CIT coin was undenominated. Since 1995, the organizers of the federal shooting festivals have adopted the CIT "shooting thalers" as official, and they have been denominated with CHF 50 (silver) and CHF 500 (gold). They are commemorative medals aimed at the collector's market, but they are marketed as "Schützentaler". Their design has returned to the patriotic themes of the 19th-century issues, and a nominal face-value in Swiss Francs was re-introduced. These denominations are fictional and not related to any Swiss

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. The legend ''convertible à la fête de tir / einlösbar am Schützenfest'' ("redeemable at the shooting festival") is engraved on the reverse, in imitation of the final federal issues of 1934 and 1939, so that they are technically tokens or vouchers that could be redeemed for the stated amount at the respective festivals. For the three coins issued 2010–2020, the reverse side of the coins remained unchanged, showing the coin denomination (Fr. 50 for silver, Fr. 500 for gold) in a wreath of oak and gentian and above two crossed muskets with a powder horn, and the legend ''convertible à la fête de tir / einlösbar am Schützenfest'', and a fineness stamp ''HF'' (Huguenin), 900 for silver, 999 for gold.

References

Bibliography

*Bruce, Colin R. II ''Unusual World Coins''

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Krause Publications Krause Publications is an American publisher of hobby magazines and books. The company was started by Chester L. Krause (19232016) in 1952 and published '' Numismatic News''. In the coin collecting community the company is best known for its ...

, 2007, *Krause, Chester L. & Mishler, Clifford ''Standard Catalog of World Coins 1801–1900'', Krause Publications, 1996, *Krause, Delbert Ray ''Swiss Shooting Talers and Medals'', Whitman Publishing Company, 1965 *Martin, Jean L. ''Les médailles de tir Suisse 1612–1939'' Lausanne, 1972 *Richter, Jürg ''Die Schützentaler und Schützenmedaillen der Schweiz'', 2005, *Haberling, Michael ''Swiss Shooting Festival Coins 1842 - 2015'', 2015

External links

Swiss Shooting Thalers at zumbo.ch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shooting Thaler Commemorative coins Coins of Switzerland Shooting sports in Switzerland Marksmanship awards