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The Swiss Federal Mint has released (2nd June) new silver commemorative coins, which are in recognition of next year’s bicentenary anniversary of the Swiss Shooting Sports Federation. Founded at the first Federal Shooting Festival in Aarau in 1824, it was at that time still known as the Schweizer Schützenverein (SSV) or “Swiss Shooting Club.” However, the first historically proven shooting competitions can trace their origins four centuries earlier, back to 1442. Today the SSV is the fifth largest sports association in Switzerland, with around 130,000 members. The organisation will celebrate its 200th anniversary from the 16th to the 18th August 2024, and the SSV has become one of the oldest sports associations in Switzerland. The SSV’s Federal Shooting Festival is the largest sporting event in Switzerland which can look back on almost 200 years of tradition. With up to 50,000 participants taking part in the multi-day event and no doubt just as many visitors, the eagerly anticipated Federal Shooting Festival only takes place every five years.
One particular tradition which emerged from the shooting festivals was the silver shooting thalers or Schützenfest coins that were minted and were once very much a part of the Federal Shooting Festival event. The first of these coins was struck in 1842 and described as a cantonal release, which included three separate issues representing the Canton of Chur, Glarus in 1847, and Geneva in 1851. The silver coins issued during the Swiss Federation and began in 1855, with the last shooting thalers being released in 1885. Produced in equal size and weight to the new Swiss five-franc coins, they were not intended as legal tender, despite the fact the federal mint issued them with a nominal face value. However, as they were minted to the official specifications of the five-franc coin, many coins circulated alongside ordinary coins in Switzerland. The first of these coins released by the Federal Mint was for the festival in Solothurn, with a further fourteen examples over the next thirty years. Although the coins were quite popular, Swiss authorities were dissuaded from producing more of these coins with no official legal tender status by the Latin Monetary Union (LMU) since Switzerland was a founding member. With the dissolution of the LMU in 1927, Switzerland’s last two silver shooting thaler coins were released in 1934 and 1939 with specific rules for use and redemption only during the festival and at the venue. Of Switzerland’s then-22 cantons comprised the federation, 18 were represented in this coin series.
The Swiss Federal Mint produces the silver coins at their facilities in Bern and are part of a two-coin series concluding next year with the release of a 50-franc gold coin in time for the anniversary in August 2024. The coins are designed by graphic artist Vito Noto from Ticino. The obverse side cleverly blends the artist’s interpretation of both a target within the shape of an eye, the pupil depicted as the target, and a cross. The commemorative years 1824 and 2024 are placed above the primary design, and the initials SSV · FST (Schweizer Schiesssportverband · Fédération Sportive Suisse) are shown just to the right along the edge. The reverse side faithfully replicates the original design seen on the first silver shooting thalers from 1842 created by Karl Friedrich Voigt (1800–1874). The main motif features the shield crest of Switzerland along with four flags and two rifles crossed behind, along with a hunting horn below. A branch of oak is shown to the left of the shield, and a branch of laurel is depicted to the right. A beret with three feathers is placed above. The text CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA 2023 surrounds the primary design with the denomination 20 FR placed below. The coin’s fineness of 999.9 and a B mintmark are seen to the right of the denomination.
| Denom. |
Metal |
Weight | Diameter | Quality |
Mintage Limit |
| 20 francs |
.9999 Silver |
20 g | 33 mm | Brilliant Unc. |
15,000 |
| 20 francs |
.9999 Silver |
20 g | 33 mm | Proof |
5,000 |
| 20 francs |
.9999 Silver |
20 g | 33 mm | Proof |
*250 |
The Brilliant Uncirculated coin is available encapsulated; the Proof versions are encapsulated and presented in a custom case accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. *A limited number of 250 pieces are available with a signed certificate of authenticity from the designer of the coins. For additional information, please click here.
A limited number of the coins will also be available from the shop of the Swiss Shooting Association by clicking here.
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