Zurich Gulden

The Zurich Gulden was often struck using silver recycled from melted-down foreign coins, a practical measure that kept Zurich's mint humming through wars and economic shifts.

Over its lifespan from 1620 to 1798, this coin bore the city's distinctive coat of arms—a shield with white stripes on blue, sometimes flanked by saints or Latin inscriptions. Minters in Zurich produced these in various denominations, typically weighing around 10 to 15 grams, though exact figures varied by year. I’ve handled dozens; the wear patterns tell stories of hard use in markets from Basel to Venice.

One oddity: some issues show faint overstrikes, hinting at hasty production. We don't know the precise mintage for most years, as records were spotty even then.

As for myths, spare me the tales of buried treasure. These were workaday currency, not relics of legend.