Aargau Schilling

The Aargau Schilling's most striking feature was its use of silver sourced from local mines in the Swiss Alps, often alloyed with trace elements that gave it a distinctive, slightly bluish tint under certain lights.

This made the coin a practical choice for everyday transactions in 16th-century Switzerland, where barter still dominated rural markets. Struck in denominations from one to several schillings, these pieces bore the Aargau coat of arms—a bear rampant—pressed into the obverse with simple, efficient dies.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that era were spotty, and many were destroyed in later conflicts. What survives shows variations in weight, from about 2 to 4 grams, depending on the year and the silversmith's mood.

One dry observation: In my three decades handling these, I've yet to find one that lived up to the tales of hidden treasures—mostly, they're just worn pieces of history.