Assis Coin: History of the Swiss Cantonal Currency

Illustrated Specimen Details: Billon Assis

Example Specimen: 1 assis, 1698 (City of Basel)

Heraldry & Legends: The obverse displays the traditional coat of arms of Basel — a stylized bishop's staff on a shield — encircled by the Latin inscription MONETA NOVA BASILEENSIS (New Basel Currency). The reverse features intricate ornamentation and the prayerful motto DOMINE CONSERVA NOS IN PACE (Latin: "Lord, keep/preserve us in peace").

1. SWITZERLAND (17th-18th centuries) — SWISS CANTONS (Basel, Obwalden, Zug...): assis = 12 cantonal kreuzer coins

Assis as a coin name is a relatively rare denomination that appeared in the 17th-18th centuries, primarily within the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. While the origin of the term is not fully confirmed, some researchers suggest a tenuous connection to the ancient Roman as coin, though the two are vastly different in historical context. The denomination is most closely associated with the city of Basel, where it functioned as a standard silver/billon unit.

Historical Background & Development

The history of the assis begins not in Switzerland, but in the city of Strasbourg. In the 15th century, coins bearing the legend "ASSIS REIP ARGENTORATENSIS" (Assis of the Free City of Strasbourg) appeared there. The name "Argentoratum" is the ancient Roman designation for Strasbourg. Initially, the design featured a lily and cross, but by the 1620s, a "XII" mark was added above the lily, denoting its fixed equality to 12 kreuzer currency units.

As the monetary landscape of the Old Swiss Confederation was highly decentralized, cantons often adapted foreign denominations to suit their local accounting systems. Consequently, the assis became a recognizable unit in cantons like Basel, Obwalden, and Zug.

Monetary Context: 17th-18th Centuries

During this period, the Swiss region lacked a unified currency, leading to a complex landscape where local billon and silver issues coexisted with the widely used kreuzer system of Central Europe. The assis served as an intermediate unit within this fragmented structure:

• 1 assis = 12 kreuzer

In many cases, the assis functioned more as a standardized accounting unit used in cantonal tariffs and trade tables rather than a coin that circulated universally across all Swiss regions. Numismatists particularly prize the rarer, smaller denominations, such as the 1/6 assis of the 18th century from the canton of Zug, which weighs a mere 0.2 g.