The coins of the Swiss franc are the official coins used in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The name of the subunit is in French and internationally, in German, in Italian, and in Romansh. There are coins in denominations of 5 centimes, 10 centimes, 20 centimes, franc (50 centimes), 1 franc, 2 francs, and 5 francs.
All coins have the legend of either or , the Latin name of the Swiss Confederation, along with the year number. The 5, 10, and 20 centimes coins show a head of Liberty in profile, designed by Karl Schwenzer (1879). The , 1, and 2 francs coins show a standing figure of the national personification Helvetia, designed by Albert Walch (1860). The 5 francs coin on the obverse shows a portrait of an "alpine herdsman" (), designed by Paul Burkhard (1922), and on the reverse the federal coat of arms;Paul Burkhard und der Fünfliber (Swissmint 2008). additionally it has the inscription embossed on the edge.
The original series of coins introduced in 1850 consisted of nine denominations. To this were added three denominations of gold coins, 10, 20, and 100 francs, between 1897 and 1925, following the standards of the Latin Monetary Union. The 1 and 2 centimes coins were retired from circulation in 2007 and 1978, respectively. The gold coins have never been officially retired, but they are not in circulation as their gold value far exceeds their denomination. Therefore, there remain seven different denominations in circulation, as listed above.
History
The name Swiss franc (, , ) was given to a silver coin minted in Bern from 1757, and later also in Basel, Solothurn and Lucerne. The value of this coin was 10 . The name was taken from the colloquial name of the French , since 1726 defined as 4.5 grams of fine silver.
In the Helvetic Republic, in 1799, there were plans to introduce a decimal currency system based on the Bernese currency, with a Swiss franc corresponding to 6.6149 grams of fine silver, equivalent to 10 or 100 . These coins were not minted due to a shortage of silver during the period of the Napoleonic Wars. During the Swiss Mediation period (1803–1814), Swiss currency reverted to a variety of cantonal . In the Restored Confederacy, from 1825, the western cantons (Bern, Basel, Fribourg, Solothurn, Aargau, Vaud) formed a "monetary concordate" () for the unification of their currencies, producing a standardised .
The modern Swiss franc was introduced in 1850, two years after the formation of Switzerland as a federal state. The federal law establishing the new currency was passed on 7 May 1850. For practical reasons, the Swiss franc was initially created as having parity with the French franc of the day (introduced 1795), with 1 franc equivalent to 5 grams of silver at 90% purity. The official exchange rate with the cantonal currency was seven Batzen to one franc.
The first coins of the Swiss franc were minted in Paris, Brussels and Strasbourg, until the former cantonal mint of Bern was made ready to begin production as federal mint. The batch of coins produced in 1850 and 1851 was insufficient, and the Federal Council had to resort to authorising the circulation of French, Belgian and Italian coins. The first coins minted in Berne were issued in 1857. There was no federal paper money prior to 1907, with the establishment of the Swiss National Bank, although the cantons had the right to issue banknotes.
The design of the original 1850 coins was due to Alexander Hutter for the copper coins (realised by Jean-Jaques Barre of Paris), to Karl Friedrich Voigt of Munich (1800–1874) for the billon coins, and to Friedrich Fisch of Aarau for the silver coins (the "seated Helvetia" motif). Voigt's design for the reverse side, consisting of the coin value in wreaths of grapes, oak leaves and gentian, remains in use in the current coins, while his design of the federal coat of arms on the obverse was replaced in the 1870s.
The designs of the coins in current use, other than the 5 francs coin, are due Albert Walch (1816–1882). The original plates for the , 1 and 2 francs coins were cut by Geneva medalist Antoine Bovy (1795–1877) in 1874. The "head of Liberty" used on the 5, 10 and 20 centimes coins was realised by Württemberg medalist Karl Schwenzer (1843–1904) in 1879. The 5 francs coins of 1888–1918 were also realised by Schwenzer, based on a design by Christian Bühler of Bern, but the 5 francs coin as the only Swiss coin in current use was given a complete redesign in the 20th century, first used in the 1922 batch, based on a design of an "alpine herdsman" by Paul Burkhard of Richterswil (1888–1964).
Switzerland joined the Latin Monetary Union in 1865. The 5-franc coin of 90% silver was unlimited legal tender together with gold, while 2-, 1,- and -franc coins of 83.5% silver were made subsidiary or limited legal tender. The billon coins (5% to 15% silver) were also subsidiary; they were replaced by Cupronickel and Nickel in 1879. In 1918/19, there was experimentation with brass (Cu–Zn) versions of the 5 and 10 centimes coins, but these were again retired in 1924.
In 1968, the 83.5% silver coins were also replaced by Cupronickel, as the value of the silver in the alloy had exceeded its face value, and the silver coins were taken out of circulation in 1971. The 2 and 1 centime coins were taken out of circulation entirely in 1978 and 2007, respectively. The 5 centimes coin was switched to a yellow-metal (Aluminium bronze) alloy in 1981, and the white-metal (Cupronickel) 5 centimes coins of 1879–1980 were retired in 1984. The (magnetic) Nickel versions of the 20 centimes coin (1881–1938) were retired in 2004, leaving the 10 centimes coins of 1879 onwards as only 19th-century coins that remain in official circulation.
Bronze coins 1 centime: bronze (1.2g), replaced with zinc (1.5g) in 1942; designed by Alexander Hutter; obv: federal coat of arms with liberty cap and the legend , rev: numeral 1 in a wreath. Minted again in bronze in 1948 (1.5g); redesigned by Josef Tannheimer; obv: Swiss cross with legend , rev: numeral 1 and an ear of corn. Taken out of circulation in 2007. 2 centimes: bronze (2.5g), replaced with zinc (2.4g) in 1942; designed by Alexander Hutter; obv: Swiss coat of arms with liberty cap and the legend , rev: numeral 2 in a wreath. Minted again in bronze in 1948 (3.0g); redesigned by Josef Tannheimer, obv: Swiss cross with legend , rev: numeral 2 and an ear of corn. Taken out of circulation in 1978.
Billon coins 5 centimes: billon (5% silver, 1.67g); designed by Karl Friedrich Voigt; obv.: federal coat of arms with wheat ears and legend , rev: numeral 5 in a wreath. Minted from 1879 in cupronickel (Cu-Ni, 2.0g); obv: head of Liberty (design by Karl Schwenzer), legend . Minted in cupronickel from 1879-1980, except in 1918 (brass, Cu-Zn), 1932-1939 and 1941 (nickel). Minted in aluminium-bronze (Cu-Zn-Al) since 1981; all pre-1981 versions were taken out of circulation in 1984. 10 centimes: billon (10% silver, 2.5g); designed by Karl Friedrich Voigt; obv.: federal coat of arms with oak leaves and legend , rev: numeral 10 in a wreath. Minted from 1879 in Cupronickel (Cu-Ni, 3.0g); obv: head of Liberty (by Karl Schwenzer), legend . Minted in cupronickel from 1879-present except in 1932-1939 (pure nickel). The 1850–1876 coins were taken out of circulation in 1886; the coins of 1879 onward remain legal tender. As the in the concordate currency of the 1820s represented a tenth of a franc (in pre-revolutionary currency: a seventh of a franc), the 10 centime coin retained the name of colloquially. This coin, unchanged in design and composition since 1879, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest original currency in circulation. 20 centimes: billon (15% silver, 3.25g); designed by Karl Friedrich Voigt; obv.: federal coat of arms with edelweiss and legend , rev: numeral 20 in a wreath. Minted from 1881 in nickel (4.0g); obv: head of Liberty (by Karl Schwenzer), legend . Minted since 1939 in cupronickel (Cu-Ni); pre-1938 coins were taken out of circulation in 2004.
Silver coins The , 1, 2 and 5 francs coins were silver, from 1968 Cupronickel. The pre-1969 coins were taken out of circulation in 1971.
franc The franc coin of 1850/1851 was 2.5g of 90% silver; obv: seated Helvetia (by Friedrich Fisch), rev: " Fr." in a wreath. In 1875 debased to 83.5% silver, design changed to obv: standing Helvetia (by Albert Walch). From 1968: Cu–Ni (2.2g).
1 franc The 1 franc coin was 5.0g of 90% silver; obv: seated Helvetia (by Friedrich Fisch), rev: "1 Fr." in a wreath. In 1860 debased to 80% silver, design changed to obv: standing Helvetia (by Albert Walch). 1875–1967 83.5% silver, from 1968: Cu–Ni (4.4g).
2 francs The 2 francs coin of 1850/1857 was 10.0g of 90% silver; obv: seated Helvetia (by Friedrich Fisch), rev: "2 Fr." in a wreath. 1860: 80% silver, obv: a Swiss cross in a circle of stars, rev: legend 2 Francs in a wreath. 1860–1863: return to the seated Helvetia motif. From 1874: standing Helvetia (by Albert Walch). 1874–1967: 83.5% silver, from 1968: Cu–Ni (8.8g).
5 francs
The 5 francs coin of 1850 was modelled on the French 5 franc coin of 1795, which saw wide circulation in western Switzerland. The old Swiss franc of the Helvetic Republic was also known as ('Swiss pound'), and the colloquial name of the 5 franc coin retains the denomination 'pound'.Schweizerisches Idiotikon s.v. "Fünfliber", 3.982.
The original 5 francs coin of 1850/1851, 1855, and 1873/1874 was 25.0 grams of 90% silver. The obverse side showed the seated Helvetia figure (by Friedrich Fisch) with the legend , the reverse "5 Fr." in a wreath. 1888–1916: obv: head of Liberty (by Karl Schwenzer), with legend , rev: engrailed federal coat of arms in a wreath, "5" and "F on either side of the shield. The edge has an inscription in relief: with 13 stars (in groups of 10 and 3).
In 1922, the coin was re-issued. The reason was a substantial loss of silver coins during World War I; many Swiss coins had been melted into bullion in France and Italy, and the Swiss National bank had been authorized to issue temporary 5 francs banknotes. A first competition for the redesign in 1919 received 542 entries by 202 artists. In a second competition, two designs of an "alpine herdsman" by Paul Burkhard were chosen, but the Federal Council asked Burkhard to reduce the full-body depiction to a bust.
The final design on the obverse shows the bust of an alpine herdsman in semi-profile, with the legend , rev: federal coat of arms without hatching, flanked by edelweiss and gentian, legend "5 Fr." above the shield, the rim inscription was as in 1888–1916. In 1931, the 5 francs coin was reduced from 25 to 15 grams, and debased from 90% to 83.5%, for a fine silver content of 12.5 grams in the coins of 1931–1967 (compared to 22.5 grams in the coins of 1850–1928).
A first batch in Cupronickel (13.2g) was made in 1968, a final batch in silver in 1969. The 1985–1993 versions had the rim inscription engraved rather than embossed; these coins were taken out of circulation in 2004.
There has been some debate as to the significance of the 13 stars on the edge. In reaction to a suggestion that they represent the Thirteen Cantons,Revue suisse de numismatique, Band 6, 1896, p. 363 Edmund Platel, director of the federal mint, in a 1899 article asserted that they hold no significance, being merely used as filler between the words.Revue suisse de numismatique 9, 1899, p. 316 A Swissmint publication of 2008 references a popular belief that their division in groups of 3 and 10 has a religious significance (for the Trinity and the Ten Commandments), but classifies this as "unfounded speculation", as the division into these groups has technical reasons in the production process.Swissmint, Sterne auf Schweizer Münzen (2008), p. 4.
There has also been speculation as to the person depicted as "alpine herdsman" by Burkhard, with candidates named as