Coins of the Swiss Confederation

The Swiss franc is rightfully considered one of the most stable world currencies. And this is not surprising, because from the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1848 to the present, not a single monetary reform has been carried out in the country, and the only 30% devaluation occurred in 1936, during the Great Depression. Most of the coins, first issued in 1879, are still issued without change in design. 

 

The state entity "Swiss Union" existed from 1291 to 1798 and by the time of its collapse consisted of 13 cantons. There was no single currency - each canton minted its own coins, with a total of 860 different types.

 

 

The first attempt to unite the cantons into a single state was made by Napoleon Bonaparte, who captured the Swiss cantons, and in 1798 announced the creation of the Helvetic Republic. In 1801-1803, the issue of a single currency for all cantons, based on the Berne Thaler, was implemented. Coins were traditionally called Batzen and Franks. At the same time, the Swiss franc of the Helvetic Republic was equal to 1 ½ of the French franc.

 

 

The state structure imposed from the outside has excited the country for 5 years. The confrontation between the Swiss federalist and Unitarian parties forced Bonaparte to liquidate the Helvetic Republic in 1803. The parties' differences were settled by the proclamation of the so-called "Act of Mediation" - the first federal Constitution of Switzerland. The state returned back to the Union of Cantons, of which there were 19. We list them: Appenzell, Aargau, Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Glarus, Graubünden, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Ticino, Unterwalden, Uri, Vaud, Züen rich

 

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte is defeated and sent to the island of Elba. The Swiss cantons, considered allies of France in the Napoleonic Wars, were forced to declare their eternal neutrality. Over the next 32 years, the cantons gradually "mature" to create a united state and some of them return to the issue of their own monetary units. 

 

 

It should be noted that as of 1820, about 8,000 different coins and banknotes were in circulation in the Swiss cantons, which were issued by the cantons, cities, abbeys, principalities, etc. Coins of the Helvetic Republic and coins of Swiss formations until 1798 were also in circulation. At the same time, 85% of the money supply in circulation were foreign currencies brought by merchants and military mercenaries. In fact, only large German  and French coins were used in the calculations of the cantons among themselves and with other states. The trifle they issued outside the borders of the issuing canton had no payment ability.

 

In order to stop this disgrace, in 1825 the cantons of Aargau, Basel, Bern, Friborg, Solothurn and Vaud formed the "Coin Concordat " and agreed to issue coins according to a single standard that have mutual circulation in these cantons. On the Konkordanzbatzen, a Swiss cross with the letter "C" in the center was mandatory, and the coat of arms of the canton that issued the coin was allowed on the reverse side. At the same time, the cantons of Geneva, Graubünden, Lucerne, Schwyz, Ticino and Zurich, which did not join the Concordat, continued to issue their own coins.

 

 

On September 12, 1848, a new federal Constitution was proclaimed, which determined the current state structure of Switzerland, and according to which the minting of coins by cantons is prohibited, and the exclusive right to issue coins is transferred to the federal government. With the scrupulousness characteristic of the Swiss, the state has been preparing for the first issue of a single currency for two years. 

 

On May 7, 1850, the Federal Law on Coinage was adopted, which approved the Swiss franc as the national currency. The first line of coins goes into circulation in the following composition: 1, 2 rappen from bronze, 5, 10, 20 rappen from billon, ½, 1, 2, 5 francs from 900 sterling silver. The Swiss franc, at the same time, was equated to the French franc. 

 

At first, it is worth mentioning one feature of Swiss coins. Due to the ethnic diversity of the cantons, four languages ​ ​ are officially proclaimed state in Switzerland: German, Italian, French and Romansh. A small bargaining chip is called rappen in German, centime in French, centesimo in Italian, rap in retro-Romanesque. In order not to offend any of the nations, as well as not to overload the coin with duplicate names, on small coins from 1 to 20 rappen there is no name of the monetary unit, there is only a digital designation of the face value of the coin. In addition, for the same reasons, the name of the state is indicated in Latin CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA, or, most often, the abbreviated name HELVETIA. Imagine if the coins were simultaneously labeled with the name of the state in all four state languages "Schweiz" in German, "Suisse" in French, "Svizzera" in Italian and "Svizra" in Romanesque.

 

The design of coins in denominations of 1 and 2 rappen was developed by the famous French medalist Jean-Jacques Barr from a sketch by Alexander Hutter.

 

 

Officially, coins of this type began to be withdrawn from circulation only in 1951, that is, they were in circulation for 100 years.

 

In connection with the outbreak of active hostilities in Europe on the battlefields of World War II, in order to save strategic materials, coins were issued from 1942 to 1946 on zinc blanks without significant changes in design.

 

 

The design of coins in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 rappen of the first issue was developed by the German medalist and engraver Karl-Friedrich Voigt .

 

 

 

For 5 and 10 rappen in 1872 and 1874 and for 20 rappen in 1858 and 1859, the proportions of metals in the billon alloy changed.

 

In 1879, it was decided to abandon the minting of billon coins and switch to copper-nickel blanks for denominations of 5 and 10 rappen, and to pure nickel for 20 rappen. In March 1886, billon coins began to be withdrawn from circulation, and soon they lost their solvency . The design of the coins also decided to change. The reverse remained the same, and the new obverse was developed by the German medalist and stamp cutter Karl Schwenzer.

 

 

It is in this design that coins of Switzerland are issued to this day.

 

 

Depending on political and economic world events, the material for the procurement of coins of these denominations has repeatedly  changed.

 

In 1918-1919, 5 and 10 rappen were issued on brass blanks.

 

 

Brass coins began to be withdrawn from circulation in 1923, and from January 1, 1924 they lost their solvency.

 

In 1932-1941, these denominations were issued on pure nickel blanks. I have not found an explanation for the surge of such extravagance.

 

 

Only in 1980 it was announced that copper-nickel coins of 5 rappen of the 1879 model and nickel coins of the 1932 model were withdrawn from circulation. 

 

20 rappen, starting in 1939, are produced on copper-nickel blanks.

 

 

Nickel coins of 10 rappen of the 1932 model and 20 rappen of the 1881 model began to be withdrawn from circulation in 2003 and from January 1, 2004 lost the validity of legal tender.

 

The design of silver coins of the first line in denominations from ½ francs to 5 francs, which is called "Sitting Helvetia," was developed by the Swiss: sculptor, coin stamp cutter, engraver Antoine Bovi and artist Albert Walch.

 

 

Coins were issued for a short time and began to be withdrawn from circulation in 1868, having lost solvency on January 1, 1869.

 

In 1874, 1875, coins in ½, 1 and 2 francs were issued in a new design, which was again developed by the engraver Antoine Bovi and the artist Friedrich Fish. This type of coin, which bears the name "Standing Helvetia," is also used on coins of Switzerland at present.

 

 

Coins of Switzerland were issued by the coinage of Paris (letter "A"), Strasbourg (double letter "BB"), Brussels (letter "B." with a dot), the Swiss Mint in Bern (letter "B").

 

After the discontinuation of 5-franc coins with "Sitting Helvetia" in 1874, the five-franc coin changed its design twice. Initially, it was the "Head of Helvetia," which was produced between 1888 and 1916. The design of the coin was developed by the German Karl Schwenzer from a sketch by Christian Bühler.

 

 

Then in 1922, the Wilhelm Tell coin was first issued, designed by sculptor Paul Burkhard (1888-1964). The first two issues, which differed from each other in the font of the denomination of the coin, were quite weighty - 25 grams with a diameter of 37 mm. In 1934, these coins were withdrawn from circulation and lost their solvency.

 

Since 1931, the coin has decreased in size (15 g., 31.5 mm.), As well as in sample from 900 to 835.

 

 

The 1967 edition was the last for silver coins. From April 1, 1971, these coins began to be withdrawn from circulation and lost the force of legal tender. The material for the blanks of subsequent issues of these coins in the previous design was a copper-nickel alloy.

 

Between 1936 and 1941, the Swiss Confederation issued 5 "official" commemorative five-franc coins commemorating historical events.

 

The coin is dedicated to the national exhibition held in 1939 in Zurich. The main themes of the exhibition, called "Landi," were the armed forces and the Swiss village. The first theme was due to the outbreak of World War II, the second theme was intended to show the townspeople the difference in life in the countryside, for which a life-size Swiss village (Landi-Dörfli) was recreated as part of the exhibition on the shores of Lake Zurich. Obverse legend: SCHWEIZERISCHE LANDESAUSSTELLUNG ZÜRICH 1939 EINLÖSBAR BIS 30. NOV . 1939 (Swiss National Exhibition, Zurich 1939. Due by November 30, 1930). Reverse legend: ARBEIT/GEMEINSCHAFT (work/community).

 

The commemorative coin is dedicated to the 650th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Coffee Federation . On August 1, 1291, a military treaty was concluded between the cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden against the Habsburg dynasty. This union laid the foundation for modern Switzerland. Reverse legend : PROMISERVNT INVICEM SIBI ASSISTERE, which in Latin means "Promise each other and help yourself."

 

 

A commemorative coin was issued in honor of the 500th anniversary of the battle near the small settlement of St. Jacob an der Biers. The battle between the seven Swiss cantons and the French mercenaries took place on August 26, 1444. Despite the fact that the desperately fighting Swiss troops were defeated, the battle was a huge strategic success, as the French troops, exhausted by the hundred-year war with England, retreated and were soon forced to sign a peace treaty with the Swiss Union. On the reverse is the Latin legend MORI MALUNT QUAM SUPERARI (Die preferring to be defeated).

 

A special niche is occupied by 5 franc silver coins dedicated to shooting festivals. Since the coins were issued by the cantons on their own initiative, they did not have legal payment power. At the same time, the coins had a face value and a year of issue that coincided with the year of the shooting festival. The plots, mainly devoted to the shooting theme, are superbly made by talented engravers. A total of 17 coins were issued, 2 of which in the 20th century.

 

 

At the end of the review, let me remind you that in 1865 France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland formed the Latin Monetary Union, according to the requirements of the charter of which, the currencies of these states had mutual circulation in the territories of the member states of the union as an official means of payment, which generally contradicted the 1848 Constitution in relation to money circulation in the territory of the Swiss Confederation. After the liquidation of the Latin Monetary Union in 1927 , the Swiss franc continued to be issued according to its standards until 1936, until the only fact in history of the devaluation of its currency.

 

Currently, Swiss coins are also officially circulated in Liechtenstein, the Italian city of Capignone d'Italia and the German city of Busingen am Hochrain.