It’s been a while since we had a look at a Swiss Mint issue, although they aren’t the most prolific producer out there. Here, we have the solitary 50 Franc gold coin they issue annually, and for 2024, it’s to mark 200 years since the Swiss Shooting Sports Federation (SSV) was inaugurated. This is the second of a pair of designs issued to mark the anniversary, the first being a 2023 silver coin of 20 grams in weight.

The design, in typical Swiss Mint style, is clean, and stylised, featuring a view of a target through a rifled barrel. The inscriptions state the dates of the anniversary, and who it’s for. The mix of mirror proof, and frosted finishes is effective, and there are shades of 007 about it. The obverse is so much more attractive than the usual clinical one the mint uses, and is a modernised version of the original 1842 design used at the Chur tournament, where it was struck into silver coins that led to Shooting Thalers. These were struck to celebrate the tournaments held up until 1885, although some were also struck in 1934 and 1939.

The coin is struck in 11.29 grams of 0.900 gold, so around a third of an ounce of pure gold, and has a mintage of 5,000 units. Of these, all of which come boxed with a certificate, 200 units will have the certificate signed by the artist, Vito Noto. In typical Swiss Mint style, these seem to have already sold out! Available now, they can purchased in the Swiss Mint estore.