The Thaler was the currency of the Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 canton

Cantons of Switzerland

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...

 of Basel

Basel (canton)

Basel was a canton of Switzerland that was in existence between 1501 and 1833, when it was split into the two present-day 'half-cantons' of Basel-City and Basel-Country.- Background :...

 until 1798. It was subdivided into 30 Batzen, each of 4 Kreuzer or 8 Rappen. The currency was issued by both the Canton and Bishopric of Basel. It was replaced by the Frank

Swiss franc

The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...

 of the Helvetian Republic in 1798. This was, in turn, replaced by the Basel Frank

Basel frank

The Frank was the currency of the Swiss canton of Basel between 1798 and 1850.-History:The Frank was the currency of the Helvetian Republic from 1798, replacing the Thaler in Basel. The Helvetian Republic ceased issuing coins in 1803. Basel issued coins between 1805 and 1826, with the Frank...

.

Coins

The first Thaler were issued between 1542 and 1552 by the city of Basel, together with ½ Thaler between 1542 and 1548. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the canton issued ¼, ½, 1 and 2 Thaler coins, with ⅓ Thaler only struck between 1764 and 1766. In the late 18th century, the canton issued billon coins for ½, 1 and 3 Batzen, silver pieces of , ⅓, ½ and 1 Thaler, and gold Duplone and 1 and 2 Gulden.

The Bistum (Bishopric

Bishopric of Basel

The Diocese of Basel is a Roman Catholic diocese in Switzerland .Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel ....

) issued silver Thaler for the first time in 1596. Bishop Wilhelm Rinck von Baldenstein (1608–1628) issued ¼ Thaler in 1623, ½ Thaler in 1625 and 1 Thaler in 1624 and 1625. Bishop Johann Konrad II (1705–1737) issued ¼ Thaler in 1717 and 1 Thaler in 1716. These were the last Thaler-denominated coins issued by the Bishopric of Basel. However, the Bishopric continued to issue billon coins, in denominations of ½ and 1 Batzen, and silver coins for 12 and 24 Kreuzer (3 and 6 Batzen).