Switzerland 2009 Obwalden Shooting Festival 50 Swiss Francs Thaler Silver Proof

Description

In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
SOLD OUT at the Mint!
This rare and truly beautiful silver proof follows in a long line of Swiss Shooting Thalers!
Talisman Coins is very proud to be able to bring you this beautiful, proof finish Shooting Thaler. This year's Shooting Festival was held in Obwalden, and we've managed to secure a few of the 50 Francs from a total mintage of only 1,500! These hard to find Shooting Thalers (or Talers; so-called from the days when that was their face value) have been issued since the mid-1800s in tiny numbers, and are very collectible, to say nothing of extremely attractive!
Shooting Festivals
Swiss marksmanship is legendary, dating to the hero William Tell (who shot an apple off his son's head). This tradition of superior marksmanship was established during the Old Swiss Confederacy, in the 15th century, when Shooting Festival participants showed off their aim using the crossbow. Of course, Shooting Festivals are meant to be fun, but they have a practical side, too - they keep the citizen soldiery drilled and sharp! This has always been of particular importance in a country like Switzerland, with a relatively small population and surrounded on all sides by potential enemies.
Calling shooting is the national sport of Switzerland would be an understatement, to say the least! Today, the Swiss Shooting Association boasts 85,000 active, dues paying members! That amounts to over 1% of the total population! At a Swiss Federal Shooting Festival (a major event, held every five years), over 50,000 marksmen will convene for four weeks to demonstrate their shooting skills.
A Beautiful, Allegorical Design
This striking coin depicts the beautiful figure of the half-nude Helvetia instructing a Swiss archer in his marksmanship. (Helvetia is the allegorical female personification of the Swiss Republic.) She holds a laurel sprig or branch in her right hand while pointing with her left. Her right arm rests on her traditional shield, this year emblazoned with the arms of Obwalden, site of the annual Cantonal Shooting Festival, as indicated by the legend in German.
On the reverse, the traditional wreath of oak leaves (on the left) and laurel (on the right) surround the denomination of 50 Francs. Beneath the wreath, a marksman powder horn and bandolier hang from a pair of crossed rifles or muskets. The legend indicates (in both French and German, two of the four official languages of Switzerland) that the coin is redeemable during the shooting festival (not that you'd want to!).
Specifications
Country
Switzerland
Year of Issue
2009
Face Value
50 Francs
Weight
25.00 g
Diameter
37.00 mm
Mintage Limit
1,500
Finish
Proof
Composition
.900 Fine Silver
Edge
Reeded (milled, serrated)
Certificate
Included
Packaging
Encapsulated
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