Angster (coin)

An angster was originally a “thin” Swiss pfennig coin minted on one side , which was first attested in the 14th century, for example in Basel in 1362 , and which became widespread in what was later to become German-speaking Switzerland. The last minting took place in Lucerne in 1847 .

Equivalents were about

• 1 angster = 2 pfennigs = 4 hallers , elsewhere 1 angster = 2 hallers
• 6 angsters = 1 Lucerne schilling , older 4½ angsters = 1 Lucerne schilling
• 15 fear = 1 penny .

Swiss-German expressions such as no fear would be or would be given to fear, chunt nit zum guldi still testified to the former spread of the small coin in the late 19th century.

Angster is etymologically related to the Latin angustus "tight, narrow, thin"; the same root word is also in anxiety and the vessel name angster .

Literature and web link

• Wiktionary: Angster  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
• Schweizerisches Idiotikon Vol. I Sp. 339 f., Article Angster II including compositions .