Swiss Francs Coins
Swiss Franc: The Iconic Swiss Coin
The Swiss franc is one of Europe's most iconic coins. Featuring a classic design, numismatic appeal and a 90 per cent gold content, the commemorative coins mark significant periods of Swiss history, culture and noteworthy figures. The special issue coins are highly sought after for the rarity, beauty and identity as a valuable financial asset.
Buying Swiss Franc coins
A selection of Swiss franc coins are available to purchase from the StoneX Bullion online store for excellent prices. If you are interesting in buying Swiss franc coins, simply click on the image from the selection above to go through to the product page where you can learn more about the coins prestige and history. To buy the coins add to your basket in the volume pricing options and proceed to checkout.
Swiss Franc: Most adorable franc ever made
The gold Swiss franc is a series of legal tender bullion coins that are most popular with collectors both for their appealing design and their status and prestigious name. Each coin was minted at Switzerland's mint in Bern, and today, the Swiss Franc is the only franc issued in Europe. These coins had face values of 10, 20 and 100 Swiss francs and were minted in a millesimal fineness of .900. The Swiss franc has historically been viewed as a safe-haven investment due to low inflation, political neutrality and the legal stipulation that at least 40 percent is backed by gold reserves. But things were not always that way. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the Swiss franc was unregulated and thus considered to be a highly variable and complicated currency. Before the currency was regulated in 1850 by the Swiss Federal Constitution, the country had 75 entities and 25 cantons - all of which produced their own individual coins. The introduction of the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848 and the Federal Coinage Act of 1850 ensured that only the Federal government could distribute currency and that the franc became the nationally recognised currency. The obverse of each Swiss franc coin features the bust of a Vreneli head, formally called Helvetia and colloquially referred to as Swiss Miss. The informal name of the coin could originate from "Verena", a female impersonation of the Confederation of Switzerland, similar to Lady Britannia, the French Marianne or the American Lady Liberty. The effigy on the obverse of the coin was probably modeled by Françoise Engli and could also derive from the novella of William Tell in which he describes a character carrying the name "Vreneli". The coin is also known as a Helvetia from the inscription above the portrait. The Helvetia figure is often illustrated wearing a tiara with the word "Libertas", and known as the "Liberty head". The coins released from 1897 to 1949 were created by Fritz Landry of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. His signature, "F. Landry" is engraved on the coin's revers under herportrait. The coin's brilliant design is widely regarded as the most beautiful of any Swiss coinage. It is one of the world's classic designs used on all gold Vreneli coins, which, as well as a solid investment, are also quite popular among collectors, as their exquisite design and outstanding condition make them a natural choice.
Swiss Franc Design
The obverse of each Swiss franc coin features the bust of a Vreneli, her hair delicately braided and with a garland of flowers at her shoulders. Behind her are the Swiss Alps, and above her the word HELVETIA is inscribed. The edge of the coin is imprinted with stars in relief. The excellent luster and engraving of the Swiss Helvetia supplement the coin's intrinsic value. The reverse side features the coat of arms of Switzerland that includes the iconic Greek cross over a branch of oak and the Federation ribbons. It is inscribed with the coin's denomination and date of issue. Here we find the mintmark which is most commonly the letter "B" indicting the coins are manufactured in Bern.
The production of the Swiss Franc coin
The very first Federal coins were minted in Paris and Strasbourg, as Swiss minting facilities were inadequate at the time. In 1853, the Federal Government took over the former mint of the Canton of Bern on a trial basis. The old Bernese mint was renamed the Federal Mint and, from 1890, became an official Federal institution. Within a decade, the technical equipment of the old Mint was no longer adequate to either meet the escalating demand for circulation coins or to satisfy quality requirements that were becoming more exact. The Swiss Federation, therefore, commissioned the building of today's Mint in Bern's Kirchenfeld district. This institution was inaugurated on 2nd July 1906.
Swiss Mint Quality Assurance
The official mint of the Swiss Confederation is responsible for manufacturing Swiss franc coins, both for currency and investment purposes. Apart from making coins for the government, the Swiss Mint also manufactures medals and commemorative coins for private customers. Swissmint is an agency of the Swiss federal government. It is part of the Federal Finance Administration, which in turn belongs to the Federal Department of Finance. Since 1998, the Official Mint of the Confederation operates as an independent business unit under the name Swissmint.
Selling Swiss Franc coins
StoneX Bullion are always eager to hear from visitors with gold and silver bullion to sell. If you have any Swiss Franc coins for sale do not hesitate to contact us and we will put a fixed-price offer together on your behalf. As one of the leading online bullion retailers in Europe, we promise to offer you a competitive price based on the current market rates.