Swiss 1868 Berne Coin

The 1868 Swiss coin commemorating Bern's 677th anniversary was struck at the Bern mint, an odd choice for a non-round milestone that nonetheless tied into the city's medieval roots.

This silver piece, likely a 5-franc denomination, featured the Bernese bear on its reverse, a design element borrowed from local seals since the 13th century. Records don't specify the exact silver source, but Swiss mines in the area probably supplied the metal. Mintage numbers vanished in a 19th-century archive fire, leaving us to guess at its scarcity.

The coin's edges bear a reeded pattern, a practical anti-counterfeiting measure from the era. It's a solid example of Swiss federalism in coinage, though why they picked 677th over, say, 700th, remains a mystery.