SWITZERLAND. Luzern. Stadt. 2 Dukaten 1741 (Gold, 25 mm, 6.84 g, 12 h), by J. Thiébaud. DUCATUS / REIPUBLICÆ / LUCERNEN / SIS• / I•T / •1741• in six lines, all within floral cartouche. Rev. Crowned coat of arms with two wild man supporters; below, mascaron within acanthus. Divo/Tobler 536. Friedberg 322. Haas 10. HMZ 2-­646b. Wielandt 162. Very rare. Lustrous, sharply struck and very attractive, a splendid piece. Virtually as struck.



This double ducat is the result of modernization efforts at the Lucerne mint around 1740. By decision of the council, a new minting press was acquired that year from the mechanical engineer, Johann Georg Stintzinger of Langenargen. The new equipment included, in addition to a spindle press and rolling mill, a reeding machine. The new dies were provided by the skilled die cutter Jonas Thiébaud, based in St. Gallen. This highly sought-after gold coin thus represents the highest technical and artistic standards of Swiss coinage in the mid-18th century.