The Silver Dollars of '60
Bisanz Thaler, 1660

Owner Comments:

The city of Bisanz (modern day Besançon, France) was a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire for many centuries. Situated near the French, German and Swiss border, Bisanz was a strategic location and was controlled at various times by the HRE, Spain and France. In 1660 it was controlled by the Spanish Empire. It was granted the right to mint coins in 1526 while Charles V of Spain was the Emperor.

Curiously, all coins of Bisanz feature the legend for Charles V up to the end of minting in 1673. So this thaler shows the crowned and armored Charles V, bearing an orb and scepter on the obverse. The reverse shows the haloed, two-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Emperor with an inescutcheon showing the coat of arms of Bisanz. This coin has typical thaler measurements of 41.5 mm, 27.87 g and 87.5% silver.

Slabbed purchase from Stuart Reubenfeld in May of 2015.