101994 | SWITZERLAND. Frauenfeld. Silver Schützenmedaille (Shooting Medal).

101994 | SWITZERLAND. Frauenfeld. Silver Schützenmedaille (Shooting Medal). Issued 1890. Commemorating the federal shooting festival in Frauenfeld in Thurgau, from 20–30 July (45mm, 38.70 g, 12h). By H. Bovy in Geneva.

 

HEIL DIR HELVETIA, Helvetia standing left, head right, holding sword and shield; Frauenfeld Castle in background to left; to right, Thurgau seated left, resting hand upon garnished cantonal coat-of-arms / EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST IN FRAUENFELD / JULI 1890, civic coat-of-arms over laurel and oak branches, and rifles crossed in saltire. Edge: Plain.

 

Richter 1250b. Choice Mint State. Incredibly blazing and prooflike, with a cabernet-rose tone in the obverse fields and a great overall pastel nature; meanwhile, the reverse has great frosting to the devices, with tantalizing relief on each side; some scattered, subtle hairlines are present in the fields. Compare to a similar example, though largely untoned and with a good deal more in the way of hairlines, that realized a total of at least $418, before other fees, in a recent Great Collections auction.

 

The shooting festivals, in this sense, at the federal level, are considered one of the most important events in Swiss life, having played a historic role in the establishment of the Swiss state and serving as a vital connection to the nation's past. The first federal shooting festival was held in Aarau in 1824, and subsequent festivals were then held every few years, with numerous cities rotating as host. Since 1985, these festivals have been held at a fixed point every five years, the most recent having been held in July 2021 in Luzern (originally scheduled for 2020, but delayed due to the global pandemic).

 

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