Schaffhausen Thaler

The Schaffhausen Thaler often depicted a fish on its reverse, a nod to the Rhine River that defined the canton's borders and economy.

This silver coin, minted in Schaffhausen from 1620 through 1798, carried the canton's arms on the obverse, typically including a shield with red and white stripes. Sizes varied; some weighed around 29 grams, though exact weights fluctuated with silver purity. They were struck using dies that reflected local craftsmanship, possibly influenced by neighboring German states.

We don't know the precise mintage figures for most years. Records from that era are spotty, lost to time or minor fires in archives. What survives shows these thalers circulated widely in trade, valued for their consistent silver content.

One variant from the 1750s features a particularly crude fish engraving, as if the die-cutter had rushed his lunch break.