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Swiss Cantons - 1807

1 Batzen - St. Gall

Obverse:

Within a wreath, a shield with a fasces surrounding an axe.

Legend:

CANTON ST. GALLEN

Size:

22 mm.

Reverse:

Within a wreath, I SCHWEIZER BAZEN 1807

Vern's Comments:

This piece is made of billon, a mixture that usually combines a base metal such as copper with silver. In this example the silver is only about 1/6 of the total metal used. Billon pieces were often covered with a wash of silver to make them look like they contained more silver than they did. In some cases, that wash was the only silver present!

From Répertoire des Monnaies Napoléonides, pg.493-494:
UN BATZEN (2^e type)
Métal:	Billon (argent 156 2/3 ‰)	Poids:	2,6 g.
ø:	21,5 mm

D /	Écu légèrement différent (sans millésime).
R /	I - SCHWEIZER - BAZEN 1807 dans une couronne de feuilles.

Tranche lisse.

And in part:
1807:	62,865