Fribourg Blanc

What sets the Fribourg Blanc apart is its use in everyday transactions during Switzerland's shift from cantonal autonomy to federal unity, often circulating alongside foreign coins due to the region's economic isolation.

These copper pieces, minted in Fribourg from 1798 to 1848, typically weighed around 2 to 5 grams and bore simple designs like the cantonal arms or a value inscription. Mintage figures remain murky; records from that era were haphazardly kept, with some likely destroyed in local fires or wars. We know they were struck on locally sourced blanks, possibly including recycled metals from older issues, though exact sources are unverified.

The coins' edges were often irregular, a nod to the rudimentary minting tech of the time. That said, don't expect them to fetch a fortune today; they're more historical footnotes than treasures.

Not every Swiss coin from then survived intact, but the Blanc's durability is a quiet testament to copper's stubbornness.