A Priest’s Jubilee, Saint Ida and Her Chapel

Baroque Coins as Part of Overarching Concepts of Representation

During the Baroque period, exceptional coins were often part of an overall concept and were distributed as souvenirs during festivities. Their designs corresponded to depictions presented by other media. These could include broadsides, festival programs, ephemeral festival architecture, or works of art. One excellent example is a coin celebrating the 500th anniversary of the death of St. Ida of Toggenburg and the golden jubilee of Abbot Franz Troger.

A Successful Abbot of the Baroque Period 

Franz Troger was born on October 27, 1652, in the Catholic village of Altdorf. In 1670, at age 18, he entered Fischingen Abbey, which enabled him to study theology and philosophy. He was ordained as priest in 1677. In 1688, the monks elected him abbot. A wise choice! Under Troger, Fischingen Abbey reached its zenith. 35 monks joined the abbey, and the efficient management of the abbey’s estates provided Troger with the resources to undertake new building projects. A chapel dedicated to St. Ida was built under his leadership and became the center of a popular pilgrimage journey.

Ida of Toggenburg

The legend of St. Ida of Toggenburg is highly controversial. She is said to have been the daughter of a count from southern Germany and to have married a Toggenburg count in the 12th century. However, the version of her story that we know today was not put together until the end of the 15th century and drew on fairy tales and other hagiographies. Humanist Albrecht von Bonstetten compiled it at the request of the abbot of Fischingen, who wanted to attract more pilgrims to the abbey.

Von Bonstetten describes how Ida leaves her wedding ring on the windowsill, how a raven steals it and carries it to its nest. A hunter finds the ring and is consequently accused of having committed adultery with Ida. The ring is believed to be a token of love, costing the innocent hunter his life. The count has him dragged to death by a wild horse. And he pushes his wife off a high cliff.

However, God allows Ida to glide down gently so she can live as a hermit in the rugged forest. Eventually, the count finds his wife, realizes that he made a mistake and wants Ida back. Yet she remains in her hermitage, but attends early Mass every day in the castle chapel from then on. Every morning, she is accompanied by a stag with mighty antlers with candles attached to it. This ensures that Ida does not stumble on her way to early Mass in the darkness. The story goes further. But that does not make it any more trustworthy.

The stag has become a symbol of Ida of Toggenburg. We see it depicted beside Ida on our Ducat, along with the flames on its antlers.

Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of Ida’s Death

As a man of his time, Franz Troger understood the importance of local saints in enhancing the reputation of Fischingen Abbey. Therefore, he took steps to have Ida of Toggenburg beatified in Rome. In addition, he began the construction of an impressive chapel in her honor in 1704. However, Benedict XIII could not be persuaded to grant canonization or even beatification. He only permitted Ida to be venerated within the Diocese of Constance. This paved the way for magnificent celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of her death, which were held on November 3, 1726 in Fischingen.

The coins were likely minted for this occasion. The fact that Franz Troger referred to himself as “Iubilaeus” on the coins, which means “one celebrating a jubilee”, is because he was ordained in 1677 and was therefore in his 50th year as a priest in late fall of 1726. During the early modern period, age or the duration of one’s office was not usually celebrated after the anniversary date – as is common today – but rather with the beginning of the jubilee year.

Dress Modestly!

Hans Jacob Gessner, one of the finest engravers of his time, was responsible for this miniature work of art. Although he did not sign it, his correspondence with Abbot Troger has survived. We therefore know that the pious abbot objected to an initial design in which the neckline of St. Ida’s dress was a little too low. Gessner solved the problem by adding an extra piece of fabric to cover Ida’s chest.

50 Specimens Minted

Only 50 single Ducats of this highly rare coin were struck. It is also said that 6 double Ducats and 43 off-metal strikes in silver were produced. Therefore, we are looking at yet another great rarity of Swiss numismatics.

* Image on top of this page: Legend of Idda of Toggenburg. 18th-century votive painting, oil on canvas. 72.5 x 99 cm. Photo: Hampel, Fine Art Auctions, Munich. License: Public Domain.