http://cgi.ebay.com/1677-Huge-Silve...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0d2a0bea I'm liking the coin and the price, but something about it seems off. Can anyone date/identify it so I can check Krause and see why it feels "off"? I know I've seen this type before in person, but just can't remember what it is!
Swiss Talers are not my specialty, and specifically this one is quite worn, therefore I would not suspect forgery. I can say that this is a coin from the Swiss Canton of St. Gallen, depicting the bear. St Gallus, the Irish missionary who preached in the area of Lake Constance was charitable with his bread One version of the St Gallus legend tells how he gave bread to a hungry bear, which in gratitude helped him build the log cabin which later developed into one of the greatest Swiss monasteries. Another version has it that he first commanded the bear to help him, and only afterwards gave it the bread as a reward - and on condition it never returned. Be that as it may, the oldest depiction of bread known in Switzerland is an ivory carving of this scene, dating from the 9th or 10th century. Gallus has left his name in the canton and city of St Gallen in eastern Switzerland, but the bear has not been forgotten either: it lives on in the flags of the commune of St Gallen and of the two Appenzell half cantons, which were once monastery lands. The Thaler was the currency of St. Gallen until 1798. It was subdivided into 2 Gulden, each of 60 Kreuzer or 240 Pfennig. It was replaced by the Frank of the Helvetian Republic in 1798. This was, in turn, replaced by the St. Gallen Frank. Coins were issued by both the Abbey of St. Gall and the City.
MissSasha let me help your collection out. I have a nice unc. 1911 3 Mark from the German State of Hamburg, and a nice 1774 Swiss 1/4 Taler from the Canton of Bern. I like it when I see a young person into collecting coins and wanting to find out the history behind the coin. Here are pics of the coins. The marks you see on the 3 Mark are on the holder. Just let me know in a PM were to send them to. I've given many coins away as contest prizes. One of the winners of an AU 1826 Swiss 5 Batz, is a member on here.
