SWITZERLAND. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Swiss Confederation). 1848-present. 1 Franken 1928 B (Silver, 22 mm, 4.96 g, 6 h), struck-through mint error on the obverse, Bern. Helvetia standing facing, head to left, holding spear in her right hand and placing her left on Swiss coat of arms; all within circle of twenty-two stars; in exergue, HELVETIA. Rev. 1 Fr. / 1928 within oak and alpine rose wreath. HMZ 2-1204bb. Extremely rare with this mint error. Virtually as struck.


Struck-through mint errors occur when foreign material becomes trapped between the die and the planchet during the striking process. As a result, the coin is struck through the material, leaving an imprint on its surface. Most struck-through errors are minor, typically caused by tiny particles of dust or microscopic debris that inadvertently embed themselves in the coin during production. These small imperfections are commonly found on mass-produced modern silver bullion coins.

However, pronounced struck-through errors, like the one seen on this example, are extremely rare - especially for coins from the Swiss Mint in Bern, which, true to Swiss precision, has always placed great emphasis on minting quality. The likelihood of such an obvious minting error leaving the facility is exceedingly low.