ASSIS: COIN OF BASEL
1 assis, 1698: City of Basel (Switzerland)
ASSIS - 1698.
DOMINE CONSERVA NOS IN PACE: motto in Latin "Lord, keep/preserve/protect us in peace".
Ornament.
MONETA NOVA BASILEENSIS: new Basel currency/coin.
Coat of arms of Basel (bishop's staff on a shield).
- Silver (billon): 23 mm - 2.33 g
- Reference price: 27$
COIN ASSIS — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- SWITZERLAND (17th-18th centuries) — SWISS CANTONS (Basel, Obwalden, Zug...): assis = 12 kreuzer
ASSIS as coin name.
Assis — an old silver coin that was massively minted by German-speaking cities and cantons of Switzerland during the 17th and 18th centuries: Basel, Obwalden, Zug...
The appearance of the first assis is associated with the then German city of Strasbourg (modern France). It was there in the 15th century appeared a coin containing in the legend the name of the new denomination: "ASSIS REIP ARGENTORATENSIS" or "Assis of the Free City of Strasbourg" /Argentoratum — the Roman name of Strasbourg/. Although this coin is listed as a groschen in catalogs... The plot of the assis of Strasbourg (lily and cross) remained unchanged for more than a century. Only in the 1620s, the mark "XII" appeared above the lily: the equality of the assis with 12 kreuzer.
Among numismatists, other assis are most often found — from the Swiss city of Basel. The obverse of such coins was decorated with the coat of arms of Basel (a stylized bishop's staff and shield), and the reverse was marked with the denomination, the year of issue and the motto "DOMINE CONSERVA NOS IN PACE" (Latin "Lord, preserve us peace").
Interesting are the miniature (0.2 g) silver coins of the Swiss canton of Zug — ⅙ assis of the 18th century.
The name of the assis coin is unfamiliar to most numismatists. The coin’s denomination is relatively rare. The origin of the term is not known for sure. One can only assume a dubious affinity with the as — an ancient Roman coin: AS / ASSIS...
