Blaffert Public Deposited
is a base silver coin of the value of three Kreuzer or six Rappen, introduced in Switzerland in the fifteenth century, and a variety of St. Gal- len dated 1424 (Frey No. 21), is the earliest coin known bearing Arabic numer- als with a Christian era.
The type was soon copied in Germany. The Hohlblaffert of Lubeek bears an eagle, that of Mecklenburg a bull's head, that of Luneburg a lion, etc. All of the preced- ing were valued at two Pfennige. Iu the Rhine Provinces the Blaffert was variously computed at three Stuber or four Albus. It was gradually abolished in the sixteenth century, the Batzen taking its place.
An amusing story occurs in Cahn's Munz und Geldjeschichte der im Grossherzogtum Baden Vereinigten Gebiete, 1911 (p. 274), relating to a quarrel between the munici- palities of Constance and Berne because a nobleman of the former town ridiculed these coins by the name of Kuhplapperte, i.e ., " cow plapparts. "
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)