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Rappen
| Issuer | City of Zürich |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Thaler (1651-1700) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A double-headed imperial eagle displayed, with wings spread, occupying the central field within a beaded inner circle. The eagle, emblem of the Holy Roman Empire and symbol of Zürich's status as an Imperial Free City, is rendered in low relief in the hammered billon style typical of small Swiss cantonal coinage. A circular Latin legend runs in the outer field, separated by a plain border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | CIVITA · IMPERIALIS |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Zürich's municipal coinage in billon occupied a peculiar administrative space — the city-state jealously guarded its minting rights against both cantonal and imperial encroachment throughout the late medieval and early modern periods. The Rappen denomination itself traces to a north Alpine monetary tradition, the name likely derived from the raven imagery used on earlier regional issues from the Habsburgs' Black Forest territories.
At 0.35 g, these were among the most marginal fiduciary pieces in everyday Swiss commerce, yet the city's control over even this smallest denomination was a matter of political substance during periods of contested sovereignty.