1813 40 Batzen

In numismatics, the European grading term FDC - Fleur de Coin, literally "flower of the die" - is the highest grade a coin can receive. It is reserved for mint-state coins where every characteristic is superb: well centered, full mint luster, exceptional strike, attractive style, and entirely free of scratches, corrosion, encrustation, or any other flaw. By tradition, no flaws are listed for an FDC coin because there are none. This 1813 B Zurich 40 Batzen is, in every meaningful sense, worthy of that title.

The obverse design - the crowned shield of Zurich (per bend argent and azure) flanked by laurel and oak branches, framed by the legend CANTON ZURICH and the denomination 40. BATZ. on a tablet below - sits in deeply mirrored, almost black fields and produces a strong cameo contrast against the frosted devices. Both die faces show heavy die polish lines under magnification, the unmistakable signature of a brand-new, freshly polished die. This coin was almost certainly among the very first pieces struck from that die set, then quietly set aside and placed in a coin cabinet for a well-connected collector.

The reverse carries the inscription DOMINE / CONSERVA / NOS IN / PACE / 1813 - "Lord, preserve us in peace" - inside a wreath of laurel and oak, with the mintmark B for Bern at the base. The motto reflects exactly the moment of issue: 1813, with Napoleon's Empire in collapse, the Swiss Confederation emerging from the upheaval of the Helvetic Republic and the Act of Mediation, and Zurich reasserting its cantonal sovereignty.

Only the slightest velvet-soft cabinet friction on the highest points of the wreath holds this piece back from an MS-65 DPL grade. NGC has graded only 2 examples Deep Mirror Proof-Like and a small handful more Proof-Like - making this one of the finest examples of the type known.

I originally purchased this coin raw from a dealer in the summer of 2020 and submitted it to NGC, where it received its MS-64 DPL designation. It was sold to a customer of mine, who recently sold it back to me.