Uri Schilling

The Uri Schilling's bull's head emblem, drawn from Uri's coat of arms, served as a bold deterrent against the counterfeits that plagued medieval Swiss trade routes.

For over five centuries, these coins were struck in billon—a mix of silver and copper—to keep costs down in a rugged canton more focused on alpine passes than precious metals. Minters in Altdorf hammered them on irregular planchets, resulting in variations that make each piece a subtle fingerprint of its era. We know production spanned from the 14th to the 18th century, but exact dates for specific issues often blur in historical records.

Some specimens show wear from heavy circulation, evidence of their role in everyday transactions rather than hoards. The myths about hidden treasures in Uri's mountains? I've seen enough to know they're mostly wishful thinking.

That's the coin in a nutshell.