Description
Old Swiss Confederacy, the Canton of Zürich, Silver Thaler (28.24g, 40.5mm), 1761, Zürich city mint. Obverse: Coat of Arms of Zürich (as seen on the Zürich Rathaus, supported by Lion armed with sword) featuring floral embellishment over azure half, legend surrounds, “MONETA REIPUBLICÆ TIGURINÆ”. Reverse: City view of Zürich from the south looking north, of note, three of the four major churches: Grossmünster on the right, and Fraumünster and St. Peter on the left, legend surrounds above, “DOMINE CONSERVA NOS IN PACE”. Davenport-1791; KM-143.4. A masterful piece displaying a most idyllic city scene of the picturesque Zürich city, the die engraving is superb and most realistic, displaying several key landmarks of the city as they were at the time and still are in the modern day, lightly toned and exceptional preservation, virtually Mint State.
The obverse Latin legend reads “monēta Reīpūblicae Tigurinae”, with a literal translation of “Money of the Republic of Tigurum”, with an English meaning of “Money of the Republic of Zürich” – of note, the city name of Zürich was associated with the name Tigurum in modern Latin contexts, a name derived from the ‘Tigurini’ people, a Germanic tribe forming one out of four pagi (provinces) of Helvetii, this word was derived from the Latin town name ‘Turīcum’. Also, the city is referred to as a Republic as in 1648 Zürich changed its official status from ‘Reichsstadt’ (Imperial City) to Republik, thus likening itself to city-republics like Venice and Genova. The reverse Latin legend reads “Domine cōnservā nōs in pace”, with an English translation of “O Lord, preserve us in peace”.