1865 Schaffhausen
Actual 37 mm size by Antoinne Bovy, Genf
Obverse.
The lady regal in stature, fair in demeanor, doth gaze benevolently upon the innocent child at her side. Adorned with a queenly crown upon her brow, clothed in robes of royalty, she sits upon a seat of stone, adorned with the heraldic blazon of the revered Swiss Cross, marking her as the venerable Helvetia, embodiment of the united Confederacy.
As the good protector, her sword doth ever lie close by, within her reach. Yet now, her blade doth rest within its sheath, signifying peace. In her right hand she holds a garland of laurel leaves, the rightful prize for all the champions of the shooting competition. And in her left hand, the shield of protection, bearing her crest, guards the youngling within her warm embrace.
This child, unaware of his surroundings, in euphoric jubilance, doth lift the apple pierced by the bolt that struck true, by the greatest champion of all – Wilhelm Tell, and henceforth this deed shall be renowned by all as the legendary “Apple-Shot”.
In the backdrop, the Munot, a circular 16th-century fortification, doth stand in the midst of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen, serving as its symbol.
Reverse.
Background.
Shooting an apple off one's child's head, also known as an “apple-shot” is a feat of exceptional marksmanship with a bow or crossbow that occurs as a motif in a number of legends in Germanic folklore. It always occurs in the form of the marksman being ordered to shoot an apple off his own son's head. It is best known as William Tell's legendary feat.
William Tell was known as a strong man, a mountain climber, and an expert shot with the crossbow. In his time, the House of Habsburg emperors of Austria were seeking to dominate Uri. 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.
On 18 November 1307, Tell visited Altdorf with his young son. He passed by the hat, but publicly refused to bow to it, and was consequently arrested. Gessler was intrigued by Tell's famed marksmanship, but resentful of his defiance, so he devised a cruel punishment. Tell and his son was both sentenced to be executed; however, he could redeem his life by shooting an apple off the head of his son Walter in a single attempt.
After splitting the apple with the single shot, Tell is asked why he took more than one bolt out; at first he responds that it was out of habit, but when assured he will not be killed for answering honestly, says the second bolt was meant for Gessler's heart should he fail.
Gessler was furious and ordered Tell to be bound, saying that he had promised to spare his life, but would imprison him for the remainder of his life. Tell was then carried in Gessler's boat to the dungeon in the castle at Küssnacht when a storm broke on Lake Lucerne, and the guards were afraid that their boat would sink. They begged Gessler to remove Tell's shackles so that he could take the helm and save them. Gessler gave in, however Tell steered the boat to a rocky place and leapt out.
Tell ran cross-country to Küssnacht with Gessler in pursuit. Tell assassinated him using the second crossbow bolt, along a stretch of the road cut through the rock between Immensee and Küssnacht, which is known as the Hohle Gasse.
Tell's act sparked a rebellion, which led to the formation of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
In beloved memory of the legendary “Apple-Shot” by the great marksman Hero - Wilhelm Tell, who according to folklore, sparked a remarkable sequence of events leading to the founding of the Old Swiss Confederacy.