Fribourg Gros

The Fribourg Gros was often restruck from worn-out coins of other Swiss cantons, a practical recycling method that kept silver in circulation during lean times.

This medieval silver coin, minted in Fribourg from around 1400 to 1798, typically featured the city's coat of arms—a pair of keys and a cross—stamped on irregular planchets that varied in size and weight. Variations depended on the mint master, who adjusted designs to reflect alliances or conflicts. Exact mintages remain unclear; records from that period are spotty, lost to fires or neglect.

While some collectors chase early strikes for their crude charm, the coin's real value lay in its role as everyday money. Think of it as the Swiss equivalent of a sturdy work boot—functional, if not flashy. We don't know precisely how many ended up in hoards, but enough survive to show wear from constant handling.