1891 Morges

Actual 45 mm size by Hughes Bovy, Louis Furet, Geneva

Obverse.

The lady of Morges takes centerstage here, adorned with a stately crown, regal in her bearing. Dressed in a soft flowing gown, a fine cape festooned upon her shoulders, she proudly bears the standard of the city of Morges in her right hand. Her left hand holds steady a shield, while a young child etches onto it the glorious words "Tir Cantonal" – the Great Shooting Competition.

In the distance lies serene Lake Geneva, on which sail boats ply the trading route to and from Geneva. Surrounded by Grand Combin and the Graian Alps ranges, the towering Mont Blanc bear silent witness to countless events of historical significance, some forgotten by men, but forever etched into the soul of the mountainous landscape.

In the background lies olden Château du Morges, an eternal majestic bulwark protector of these great lands. In the foreground, tools of the shoemaking and tannery trades highlight the influence of the guilds across the decades.

Reverse.

An ornately designed Cross, above the couplet blazon shield emblems of Canton Vaud and the city of Morges, is nestled upon an extensive array of weaponry, reminiscent of the past when the cantonal armory was housed within the grand Château du Morges.

Floral celebratory laurels, fit for a hero, are a stark reminder that victory only belongs to the strong.

Background

In 1286, Louis of Savoy founded a city in a pasture where a gallows previously stood. A castle was built to protect the city, which quickly developed into an administrative and market center as well as a hub for transporting goods by land and sea.

The city and castle were plundered in 1475 and again in 1530. After the conquest of Vaud in 1536 by Bern, Morges became the center of a bailiwick in 1539. The castle was at that time in a deplorable condition. The new owners had the upper half of the fortifications rebuilt in the 1540s to suit the needs of artillery. Since Morges had not surrendered quickly enough to Bern, the city gates were demolished. The gatehouses remained until 1769 and 1803, when they were finally destroyed. The castle, which became the cantonal armory in 1803, was expanded in 1836-39 with some utility buildings and damaged in an explosion in 1871.

Beginning in the late 18th century, the areas outside the city walls were built up. A small harbor is first mentioned in 1536 and shortly there after, regular boat service to Geneva began. In 1664 a simple pier was built out of poles, but it was too small to provide protection for the galleys that were on the lake. The Bernese government therefore decided to build a commercial and military port in Morges and not in Lausanne-Ouchy. The current port was built with two curved breakwaters between 1691–96 and in 1702 the customs house was finished. With the port, Morges became the starting point for several trade routes and became the site of a major transshipment point for goods such as salt, wine and grain.

During the early modern era, the local economy began to rely more on transportation and trade than on the production of goods. The shoemaking guild was very influential in the 16th and 17th centuries. Tanners replaced them in the 18th and 19th centuries when they grew to be more important in the local economy.

In recognition of the storied past of the city of Morges of Canton Vaud and her revered castle, the Château du Morges.