UnderMiner
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- Minelab Excalibur II, Equinox 800
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I bought this coin today for 25 cents from a dealer who didn't seem to care too much for international coins. It is a very interesting little coin made from billon, which is an alloy of copper and silver, the silver content being very low - only 15%.
The motto on the coin is "Post Tenebras Lux" which is a Latin Calvinist saying for "Light After Darkness".
The Canton of Geneva, now an integral part of Switzerland, had been occupied by Napoleon's France from 1798 until December 30th 1813 during which time their official currency was the French Franc. After 1813 the currency reverted back to the florin & livre, which it been before the occupation of Napoleon and was once again used. That is until in 1839 when it was replaced by the Geneva Franc, which was the currency system that this 4 Centimes coin is a part of.
The Geneva Franc only existed as an offical currency from 1839-1848, after which it was replaced by the Swiss Franc (as it remains today). So this coin represents a very short lived currency system used in Geneva for just 9 years. Geneva, and Switzerland as a whole, was already a functioning republic at this time, which was unique for Europe at the time. The French 1st republic had failed with the rise of Napoleon and by 1839 was a monarchy, headed by King Louis Philippe I, who would remain in power until 1848 when he abdicated to usher in the 2nd French Republic (which would also end with the rise of an Emperor Napoleon, this time Napoleon III in December 2, 1852, the 2nd French Republic lasting just 4 years). During this time, and to this day, Switzerland remained a republic.
The French invasion of 1798. This war with France would be the last war Switzerland would ever fight:
A grand total of 331,000 of these 1839 Geneva 4 Centimes coins were minted. I feel this coin represents a very interesting transitional period in Swiss history which I plan to study further.
The motto on the coin is "Post Tenebras Lux" which is a Latin Calvinist saying for "Light After Darkness".
The Canton of Geneva, now an integral part of Switzerland, had been occupied by Napoleon's France from 1798 until December 30th 1813 during which time their official currency was the French Franc. After 1813 the currency reverted back to the florin & livre, which it been before the occupation of Napoleon and was once again used. That is until in 1839 when it was replaced by the Geneva Franc, which was the currency system that this 4 Centimes coin is a part of.
The Geneva Franc only existed as an offical currency from 1839-1848, after which it was replaced by the Swiss Franc (as it remains today). So this coin represents a very short lived currency system used in Geneva for just 9 years. Geneva, and Switzerland as a whole, was already a functioning republic at this time, which was unique for Europe at the time. The French 1st republic had failed with the rise of Napoleon and by 1839 was a monarchy, headed by King Louis Philippe I, who would remain in power until 1848 when he abdicated to usher in the 2nd French Republic (which would also end with the rise of an Emperor Napoleon, this time Napoleon III in December 2, 1852, the 2nd French Republic lasting just 4 years). During this time, and to this day, Switzerland remained a republic.
The French invasion of 1798. This war with France would be the last war Switzerland would ever fight:
A grand total of 331,000 of these 1839 Geneva 4 Centimes coins were minted. I feel this coin represents a very interesting transitional period in Swiss history which I plan to study further.
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