335, Lot: 902. Estimate $150. Sold for $280. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SWITZERLAND, St. Gallen. AR Dicken (29mm, 9.48 g, 12h). 1511. Bear, wearing jeweled collar, advancing left on hind legs / Crowned, double-headed eagle. HMZ 2-887g. VF.

According to folklore, when the Irish missionary Gallus decided to build a monastery near the river Steinach around AD 600, he encountered a hungry bear. Gallus fed the bear some bread and, in return, the bear helped him gather wood for the building. In recognition of its importance in the founding of St. Gallen, the bear became a symbol of the town.