On 30th January 2014 Federal Mint Swissmint has issued a new bimetallic commemorative coin featuring an illustration of 'Gansabhauet', an age-old custom practised in the commune of Sursee in Luzern

On St Martin's Day, 11 November, a large number of festivities and traditions are celebrated in Switzerland. A particularly striking tradition is the 'Gansabhauet' in Sursee, where two dead geese are suspended by the neck, one after the other, from a wire rope on a stage erected in front of the town hall. Young men, and occasionally women too, dressed in red cloaks and with a sun mask over their heads, try to sever the goose's neck with a single blow from their sabre. To ensure that this is not too easy, a pointed cap is pulled down over the candidates' faces so that they cannot see anything, the dragoon sabre is blunt and a glass of red wine as well as a few 360° turns are enough to make the participants a little unsteady.

The Federal Mint Swissmint is celebrating this unique Swiss tradition with a bimetallic coin designed by the artist Thyl Manuel Eisenmann from Lucerne. The new 'Gansabhauet' commemorative coin is available in the minting qualities 'uncirculated' and 'polished proof' in a presentation case at our online-shop or from selected coin dealers and banks. The current effigy 'Gansabhauet' is the third in the series 'Swiss customs' and supplements also the Swiss circulation coins in the 2014 coin set.

Country: Czech Republic
Data of issue: November 1, 2013
Face value: 200 kron
Metal: Cupronickel Aluminium Bronze
Weight: 15 g
Diameter: 33 mm
Quality: Proof / BU
Mintage: 10,000 pcs / 90,000 pcs