Coins of Switzerland: description and brief history

The Swiss Confederation is a very interesting country with a rich history and culture. In addition, it is one of the few countries in Europe that has retained its national currency, and has not switched to the euro. Perhaps that's why many collectors and numismatists collect coins from Switzerland.

Short story

Switzerland's official currency is the Swiss franc, which was introduced in 1798. Soon it was stopped and released only in 1850. At the same time, Swiss coins appeared, although the issue of metal coins in the country was before.

The Swiss franc is divided into one hundred rappenes. To date, the Swiss Central Bank has been issuing coins worth five, ten and twenty rappen. Also there are metal denominations of half the Swiss franc, one franc, two and five. The coin in two rappene was stopped minting in 1974, and in 2006 the production of coins with the value of one rappen was stopped.

Description

Coin 5 Rappen is made of an alloy of aluminum, copper and nickel. All the rest, not including commemorative and jubilee, are produced from the alloy of copper and nickel in the ratio of 750 to 250. On the reverse of coins of denomination of five, ten and twenty rappens is depicted the face value framed by a wreath, and on the obverse - the allegorical image of the human head and the inscription Swiss Confederation on Latin.

On coins of 0.5 francs, one and two francs on the reverse are denominations around which a wreath, the obverse is decorated with a picture of a standing woman with a flag-shield in her hands and a spear. This is an allegory to Helvetia, which is a personified symbol of Switzerland. There are 22 stars around Helvetia.

Coin 5 francs (Switzerland) depicts on the obverse the image of the national literary hero of the country William Tell. Also on the front side is an inscription - the Swiss Confederation in Latin. The reverse shows us the image of the emblem of the country framed by the stems of the flowers of the edelweiss and gentian.

Cost of Swiss coins

Collectors are not often purposefully collecting Swiss money, but there is still interest in them. You can buy Swiss coins without much difficulty, even in Russia. Of course, not every antiques store or specialized outlet is Swiss. But there are many online stores where you can easily purchase coins from Switzerland. The price for them, as a rule, is not too high. Usual coins worth 5 Rappen will cost you only 20-30 rubles. The cost varies depending on the year of coinage and the degree of safety.

Also, the formation of the price is affected by its face value and circulation. So, the commemorative coins of Switzerland, which are produced periodically, will cost much higher than usual, minted regularly and in large volumes. For example, commemorative coins issued for the centenary of Le Corbusier in 1987, in Russia you can buy for about 500-600 rubles. Approximately the same amount will cost other commemorative coins minted in the 80s.

The older the coin, the higher its value. This is due to the antiquarian value, as well as the fact that the longer coins are in circulation, the harder it is to find them. Rarity adds value to the price. The cost is determined individually. This is done by a qualified specialist who forms a price, guided by a number of factors. An experienced collector can independently determine the value of a coin of Switzerland, but in that case the probability of incorrect evaluation is high.

Jubilee coins

Commemorative coins in Switzerland though are issued, but there is it impermanently. Most often their denomination is ten, twenty and fifty Swiss francs. In 2005, a series of bimetallic ten-franc coins was issued, on which the Jungfrau mountain was depicted. In 2009, another series of 10 francs came out, depicting the Swiss National Park.

In 2007, the party of commemorative coins with the image of the fortress of Mouton was minted. Their nominal value was 20 francs. In 2004, coins of 50 francs were issued, on which the Matterhorn was depicted.

Conclusion

The coins of Switzerland, although not very popular among coin collectors, are still very interesting. Abroad, they are more often collected than in Russia. Therefore, it is easier to find them there. In the specialized Russian stores, the choice of Swiss coins is small, but in online stores there is plenty to choose from. Their cost is not too big, and it is not difficult to order.

For the general collection, Swiss coins will be an excellent addition and decoration, so it makes sense to pay attention to them. And the fact that in Russia they are not in high demand will make them a kind of exclusive of your unique collection. If you want to buy a certain coin, which is not in Russian online stores, you can also search it on foreign sites. Often rare copies are sold on online auctions.