Zurich Dukaten

Zurich's Dukaten coins were minted with a fineness that often exceeded the standards of their European counterparts, allowing them to circulate as far as the Baltic ports despite the canton's inland isolation.

These gold pieces, struck between 1720 and 1798, typically weighed around 3.49 grams and featured the Zurich coat of arms on one side, with a simple cross on the other. Planchets were sourced from local gold supplies, possibly including recycled foreign coins, though exact origins remain unclear.

Mintage figures vary by year, and some records were likely destroyed in later conflicts. That said, the coins' design stayed remarkably consistent, a nod to Zurich's pragmatic approach to currency.

I've handled enough of these to know that their edges weren't always reeded, which meant they wore down quickly in circulation.