Swiss Shooting Thaler 1850

The 1850 Swiss Shooting Thaler was struck to commemorate the first Federal Shooting Festival in Zurich, where competitive marksmen vied for glory and, in some cases, these very coins as prizes.

This silver piece, weighing around 27 grams and measuring 37 millimeters across, features a design by Albert Walch: a central motif of a Swiss cross flanked by a standing shooter, with the reverse showing the Swiss coat of arms. It was minted in Bern, using standard silver alloy of the era, though exact production methods remain unclear due to incomplete records from that period. Not every specimen came out perfectly; high-relief details often led to weak strikes on the edges.

While these thalers weren't rare in their time, many ended up in circulation or melted down, which surprises collectors today. We don't know the precise mintage figure—it could have been a few thousand or more—but what's certain is that they funded the festivals themselves. As for myths, no, they weren't cursed; that's just talk from overeager enthusiasts.