Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Old Swiss Confederacy
Bern
2 Duplones
舊瑞士邦聯
伯恩
2達布隆
Item number: A1231
Year: AD 1794
Material: Gold
Size: 29.2 x 29.6 mm
Weight: 15.28 g
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024
This is a 2 Duplones gold coin issued by the city of Bern, an important city in northwestern Switzerland, during the era of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The coin is surrounded by a rectangular beaded border, with the city’s coat of arms featured prominently at the centre of the obverse. The coat of arms is displayed on an oval shield, topped by a mural crown, with a decorative garland placed between the shield and the crown. The shield itself is detailed with a red background, a diagonal yellow stripe across the middle, and a black bear with its tongue extended.
The black bear is the mascot of the city of Bern, said to have been inspired by a large bear hunted in the nearby forests by the city’s founder, Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. It is also believed that the wood from these forests was used to build the city of Bern. On either side of the coat of arms is the Latin inscription “RESPUBLICA BERNENSIS,” which translates to “Republic of Bern,” referring to the city’s name. Below the coat of arms is a small decorative wing motif.
The reverse side of the coin features a wreath, with the Latin inscription “DEUS PROVIDEBIT” at its centre, meaning “God will provide.” Below the inscription is the year of the coin’s issuance, “1795.”
Bern was originally an “Imperial Free City” under the Holy Roman Empire, directly governed by the emperor. In AD 1353, Bern joined the Old Swiss Confederacy, becoming one of its most powerful members. Today, Bern is the fifth-largest city in Switzerland and serves as the de facto seat of the Swiss federal government. The Old Swiss Confederacy was founded in AD 1291 as an alliance of three cantons resisting the oppression of the Habsburgs, with additional cantons joining over time. The Confederacy endured until AD 1798, when Napoleon invaded and established the “Helvetic Republic.”