709) The legend of William Tell of Switzerland: The Swiss Federal Mint has issued a 50 Francs gold coin on 26.04.2018 which honours Tell, one of Switzerland's greatest heroes and a symbol of resistance against tyranny:
Links to posts on the "Flora Alpina" Series and other interesting posts from Switzerland on Coins and Banknotes:
1) Alpine Edelweiss: "Flora Alpina" Series: The first coin in the Series issued in January 2016
2) Alpine Gentian: "Flora Alpine" Series: The Second Coin in the Series issued in January 2017
9) "La Suisse": Swiss Steamships Coin Series: A 20 Francs Silver Coin issued on 26.04.2018:
10) Swiss Army Knife - 100th Anniversary of Karl Elsener's passing away (inventor of the original Swiss Army knife): A Silver 20 Franc Coin from the Swiss Federal Mint, commemorates the globally popular Swiss army knife: Coin issue date: 10.09.2018
Links to posts on the "Flora Alpina" Series and other interesting posts from Switzerland on Coins and Banknotes:
1) Alpine Edelweiss: "Flora Alpina" Series: The first coin in the Series issued in January 2016
2) Alpine Gentian: "Flora Alpine" Series: The Second Coin in the Series issued in January 2017
9) "La Suisse": Swiss Steamships Coin Series: A 20 Francs Silver Coin issued on 26.04.2018:
10) Swiss Army Knife - 100th Anniversary of Karl Elsener's passing away (inventor of the original Swiss Army knife): A Silver 20 Franc Coin from the Swiss Federal Mint, commemorates the globally popular Swiss army knife: Coin issue date: 10.09.2018
The Swiss Federal Mint has issued a 50 Francs Gold Coin on 26.04.2018, honouring one of the country's greatest iconic personalities, whose legendary name has become synonymous with Switzerland and that of the struggle for political and individual freedom.
Sources of the Legend of William Tell:
The legend of William Tell was mentioned for the first time in the "White Book of Sarnen" (German "Weisses Buch von Sarnen"), which is a "Chartulary" or "Cartulary" written by the civic recorder Hans Schriber from Obwalden around 1474 (a cartulary is a collection of charters or records, particularly relating to an estate or monastery or any other place where records are kept. It is derived from the Medieval Latin "Cartularium" which in turn comes from the Latin term "Chartula" meaning "Charta" paper).
An open page from the "White Book of Sarnen" where the mention of William Tell is made
The story of William Tell crops up at the time of the Burgundian Wars in the Song about the origin of the Confederation, where William Tell is called the "first Confederate" (Song of Tell - 1477).
In 1507, his story was recorded in the Chronicle of the City of Lucerne by Melchoir Russ and Petermann Etterlin and printed for the first time.
Between 1508 and 1516, Tell's story also found its way into the Swiss chronicles written by Heinrich Brennwald of Zurich.
Around 1570, the chronicler Aegidius Tschudi condensed the various handed down oral and written versions of William Tell's narrative into a saga which he dated back to 1307.
The popular theatre performances in Central Switzerland also helped spread the William Tell legend.
In 1804, the dramatization of the Tell legend by Friedrich Schiller made the story well known first in Europe and then around the globe.
Schiller drew extensively on the chronicle of Aegidius Tschudi and his play later became the basis for the great opera "Guillaume Tell" by Gioachino Rossini.
Earlier depictions showed Tell in different costumes depending on the spirit of the time. Tell is also characterised in a herdsman's cowl, with a beard, which influenced the Tell monument by the sculptor Richar Kissling in 1895 in Altdorf and by the famous Tell painting by Ferdinand Hodler (1897).
Schiller drew extensively on the chronicle of Aegidius Tschudi and his play later became the basis for the great opera "Guillaume Tell" by Gioachino Rossini.
Earlier depictions showed Tell in different costumes depending on the spirit of the time. Tell is also characterised in a herdsman's cowl, with a beard, which influenced the Tell monument by the sculptor Richar Kissling in 1895 in Altdorf and by the famous Tell painting by Ferdinand Hodler (1897).
About the legend of William Tell:
The Front Cover of the Classics Illustrated Comic No. 101 from my personal library. My mother had bought this comic for me when I was studying in Class II in 1966
William Tell was a folk hero in Switzerland. He was a peasant from the town of Burglen in the Canton of Uri, who lived during the 13th and early 14th Centuries.
His legend particularly relates to the period of the rule of Albert of Habsburg when the Swiss Confederacy was gaining military and political influence.
William Tell became a symbol of resistance against aristocratic rule, particularly in the Revolutions of 1848 against a House of Hapsburg which still ruled Austria - five hundred years later.
During the formative stage of modern Switzerland in the 19th Century, known as the period of Restoration and Regeneration Tell was again a symbolic hero, inspiring the Swiss to greater Freedom and Independence.
According to the legend, William Tell was a strong man, a mountain climber and an expert marksman with the crossbow. The House of Habsburg emperors of Austria were seeking to dominate the Canton of Uri, Tell's village and Tell became one of the conspirators of Werner Stauffacher who vowed to resist Habsburg domination.
Albrecht Gessler was the newly appointed Austrian Vogt of Altdorf, Switzerland. He raised a pole under the village linden tree, hung his hat on top of it and demanded that all the townsfolk bow before it, every time they passed it.
On 18.11.1307, Tell visited Altdorf with his young son Robert. He passed the hat, but publicly refused to bow to it and was consequently arrested.
On 18.11.1307, Tell visited Altdorf with his young son Robert. He passed the hat, but publicly refused to bow to it and was consequently arrested.
Gessler was intrigued by Tell's famed marksmanship with a cross-bow and resentful of Tell's defiance, devised a cruel punishment. Tell and his son were both the be executed, but Tell was given the chance to redeem his life by shooting an apple off the head of Robert in a single attempt. Tell split the apple with a bolt from his crossbow, much to the amazement of the crowd of onlookers.
Gessler noticed that Tell had removed two crossbow bolts from his quiver and asked Tell the reason therefor. Tell was reluctant to answer, but Gessler promised that he would not kill him. Tell answered that had he killed his son, he would have killed Gessler with the second bolt. Hearing this, Gessler was furious and ordered Tell to be bound, saying that as he had promised to spare Tell's life, he would not kill him, but imprison him for the remainder of his life.
The legend further goes that a shackled Tell was being carried in Gessler's boat to the dungeon in the castle at Kussnacht when a storm broke on Lake Lucerne and the guards in the boat were afraid that the boat would sink. They begged Gessler to remove Tell's shackles so that he could take the helm of the boat and save them. Gessler gave in, but Tell steered the boat to a rocky place and leapt out. The site is known in the "White Book" as the "Tellsplatte" (or "Tell's Slab" and has been marked by a memorial chapel since the 16th Century).
Tell ran cross-country to Kussnacht with Gessler in pursuit. Tell found a vantage ambush point and assassinated Gessler using the second crossbow bolt, along a stretch of the road cut through rock between Immensee and Kussnacht, which is known as the "Hohle Gasse".
The aftermath:
Tell's act sparked an uprising, which led to the formation of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Tell fought again against Austria in the 1315 Battle of Morgarten, in which the Old Swiss Confederacy consisting mainly of about 1500 irregular soldiers of the Canton of Uri decisively defeated a Hapsburg Force of about 5,000 trained knights, killing around 2,000 of them, with few casualties on their side.
Tell was killed in 1354 when he was trying to save a child from drowning in the Schachental River in Uri.
The Tell legend has been compared to several such legends in other traditions:
In Norse Mythology, there is the mention of a magical marksman coming to the aid of a suppressed people under the sway of a tyrant. This outlaw successfully shoots an apple placed on his child's head. This is mentioned in the story of Egil in the Thidreks saga (associated with the God Ullr in Eddaic tradition.
Similar stories are found in English (Adam Bell) and Danish (Palnatoki) traditions.
Throughout the 19th Century and even during World War II, Tell was perceived as a symbol of resistance against tyranny both in Switzerland and in Europe.
The commemorative Gold Coin of 50 Francs honouring William Tell:
The Reverse of the 50 Francs Gold Coin shows a design inspired by the painting of Ferdinand Hodler (made in 1897). It shows William Tell holding his crossbow in his left hand. At left is the inscription "WILHELM TELL".
The Obverse of the 50 Francs Gold Coin shows the standard design with the issuing authority's name "CONFEDERATIO HELVETICA", the year of issue "2018" and the denomination of the coin "50 FR" in a circular pattern.
The specifications of this coin are:
Date of issue: 26.04.2018; Denomination: 50 Swiss Francs; Metal Composition: .900 Gold (Au); Diameter/Size: 25.0 mm; Weight: 11.29 grams; Designer: Angelo Boog; Coin Quality: Proof; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): The coin comes with the artist's certificate; Mintage: 250 pieces.
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