Banknotes of the Swiss franc

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File:CHF Banknotes 9th series obverse.png
The ninth series of the Swiss franc, currently in circulation. As of 2022, the Swiss 1000-franc banknote is the world's 2nd highest value currently-issued banknote, after the Brunei $10,000 bill (worth around 6,900 Swiss francs in 2022), followed by the Singapore $1,000 note (worth around 678 CHF) and the 500 euro note (worth around 490 CHF), was demonetised.

Banknotes of the Swiss franc are issued by the Swiss National Bank in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1,000 Swiss francs.

Between 2016 and 2019, the eighth series, while remaining valid, was being replaced by the ninth series. All banknotes starting from the sixth series are exchangeable; banknotes from the fifth series ceased to be valid and were fully demonetised on 1 May 2000.

History

The first banknotes in Switzerland were issued in 1825 by the Caisse de dépôt of the city of Bern.[1]

During the 19th century the cantons (states) of Switzerland had the right to print their own notes. Following the law of 8 March 1881 the Swiss National Bank had the exclusive right to issue banknotes in Switzerland. Its first notes were issued in 1907. Since then, nine series of Swiss franc notes have been printed, six of which have been completely released for use by the general public, and a new series started being released in 2016.

Switzerland is unusual among affluent countries in that it used to expire its banknotes; the Swiss National Bank has declared several older series of banknotes to be no longer legal tender some time after introducing newer series.[2] Notes from these "recalled" series could be exchanged for still-valid notes at the National Bank for up to 20 years after the date of recall, after which the notes lost all value. When recalled series become valueless, the National Bank transfers an amount of money equal to the sum of the now-worthless notes to a state-run last-resort disaster insurance fund, the Swiss Fund for Aid in Cases of Uninsurable Damage by Natural Forces.[3] In June 2019, the Swiss parliament passed a bill that removed the twenty-year time limit. Effective 1 January 2020, all banknotes starting from the sixth series issued in 1976 as well as any future series remain valid and can be exchanged for current notes indefinitely.[2][3][4][5]

In April 2021, the Swiss National Bank announced that it was recalling its eighth series of banknotes issued between 1995 and 1998; the series was replaced by the ninth series launched between 2016 and 2019.[6] In May 2021, the old banknotes lost their status as legal tender and are no longer valid for payments.[6]

Overview

Overview of all series of Swiss banknotes[7]
Series Introduction Date recalled Valueless since Designer Remark
1st 1907 1 July 1925 1 July 1945 Josef Storck and Albert Walch Changeover notes, similar to notes used by earlier banks
2nd 1911 1 October 1958 1 October 1978 Eugène Burnand, Ferdinand Hodler, S. Balzer
3rd 1918 1 July 1925 1 July 1945 Orell Füssli War notes; only partially issued
4th — — — Victor Surbeck and Hans Erni Reserve series, never issued
5th 1956 1 May 1980 1 May 2000 Pierre Gauchat and Marcus Korsten
6th 1976 1 May 2000 — Ernst and Ursula Hiestand No longer legal tender, can be exchanged at full nominal value at Swiss National Bank[8]
7th — — — Elisabeth and Roger Pfund Reserve series; never issued
8th 1995 to 1998 30 April 2021 — Jörg Zintzmeyer Recalled 30 April 2021[9]
9th 12 April 2016 — — Manuela Pfrunder Current series; introduced 2016 to 2019

All series of Swiss banknotes

First series

1st series of Swiss banknotes[10]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse issue withdrawal lapse
File:CHF50 1 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF50 1 back horizontal.jpg 50 francs 166 × 103 mm Green/Yellow Helvetia Ornaments 20 June 1907 1 July 1925 1 July 1945
File:CHF100 1 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF100 1 back horizontal.jpg 100 francs 183 × 116 mm Blue
File:CHF500 1 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF500 1 back horizontal.jpg 500 francs 199 × 126 mm Green
File:CHF1000 1 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF1000 1 back horizontal.jpg 1000 francs 215 × 132 mm Purple
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Second series

The second series of Swiss banknotes was issued between 1911 and 1914.

2nd series of Swiss banknotes[11]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Date of Notes
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse issue withdrawal lapse
File:CHF5 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF5 2 back horizontal.jpg 5 francs 148 × 70 mm Brown/Green William Tell Ornaments 3 August 1914 1 May 1980 1 May 2000
File:CHF10 2 front horizontal.png File:CHF10 2 back horizontal.png 10 francs 135 × 82 mm Brown/Yellow Woman from Neuchâtel — — — Reserve note
File:CHF20 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF20 2 back horizontal.jpg 20 francs 163 × 95 mm Blue/purple Vreneli 31 July 1914 31 December 1935 1 January 1956
File:CHF50 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF50 2 back horizontal.jpg 50 francs 165 × 106 mm Green Woman's head Woodcutter 22 December 1911 1 October 1958 1 October 1978
File:CHF100 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF100 2 back horizontal.jpg 100 francs 181 × 115 mm Dark blue Reaper 16 September 1911
File:CHF500 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF500 2 back horizontal.jpg 500 francs 200 × 125 mm Red/Brown Embroideres 24 December 1912
File:CHF1000 2 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF1000 2 back horizontal.jpg 1000 francs 216 × 131 mm Purple/Orange Foundry 16 September 1911
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Third series

The third series of Swiss banknotes was printed in 1918; some of the notes were issued as war notes, while others were kept as reserve.[12]

Fourth series

The fourth series of Swiss banknotes was printed in 1938 as a reserve series and was never issued.

4th series of Swiss banknotes[13]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Date of issue
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
File:CHF50 4 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF50 4 back horizontal.jpg 50 francs 167 × 96 mm Green Woman's head Bull Never issued (reserve series)
File:CHF100 4 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF100 4 back horizontal.jpg 100 francs 190 × 106 mm Blue Woman from Haslital Ornaments
File:CHF500 4 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF500 4 back horizontal.jpg 500 francs 210 × 116 mm Brown-red Woman's head Chemistry
File:CHF1000 4 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF1000 4 back horizontal.jpg 1000 francs 228 × 125 mm Purple Turbine
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Fifth series

The fifth series of Swiss banknotes was issued starting in 1957.

5th series of Swiss banknotes[14]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Designer Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse issue withdrawal lapse
File:CHF10 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF10 5 back horizontal.jpg 10 francs 137 × 75 mm Red-brown Gottfried Keller Bennet blossoms Hermann Eidenbenz 1 October 1956 1 May 1980 1 May 2000
File:CHF20 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF20 5 back horizontal.jpg 20 francs 155 × 85 mm Blue Guillaume-Henri Dufour Thistle 29 March 1956
File:CHF50 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF50 5 back horizontal.jpg 50 francs 173 × 95 mm Green Head of a girl Apple harvest Pierre Gauchat 14 June 1957
File:CHF100 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF100 5 back horizontal.jpg 100 francs 191 × 105 mm Dark blue Head of a boy St Martin
File:CHF500 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF500 5 back horizontal.jpg 500 francs 210 × 115 mm Brown-red Head of a woman Fountain of Youth
File:CHF1000 5 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF1000 5 back horizontal.jpg 1000 francs 228 × 125 mm Purple Danse Macabre
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Sixth series

6th series of Swiss banknotes[15]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse issue withdrawal lapse
File:Euler-10 Swiss Franc banknote (front).jpg File:CHF10 6 back horizontal.png 10 francs 137 × 66 mm Red Leonhard Euler Water turbine, the Solar System and a scheme of propagation of rays of light passing through lenses 5 November 1979 1 May 2000 none (abolished)[16]
File:CHF20 6 front horizontal.png File:CHF20 6 back horizontal.png 20 francs 148 × 70 mm Blue Horace-Bénédict de Saussure Mountain range, a group of alpinists and the Ammonshorn 4 April 1979
File:CHF50 6 front horizontal.png File:CHF50 6 back horizontal.png 50 francs 159 × 74 mm Green Conrad Gessner Eagle owl, primula, stars 4 October 1978
File:CHF100 6 front horizontal.png File:CHF100 6 back horizontal.png 100 francs 170 × 78 mm Dark blue Francesco Borromini Upper part of the dome-tower as well as the floor plan of the church Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza 4 October 1976
File:CHF 500 Haller.jpg File:CHF500 6 back horizontal.png 500 francs 181 × 82 mm Brown Albrecht von Haller Muscular figure of a human body, graph of respiration and the circulation of the blood, and a purple orchis 4 April 1977
File:CHF1000 6 front horizontal.png File:CHF1000 6 back horizontal.png 1000 francs 192 × 86 mm Purple Auguste Forel Three ants and a cross-section of an anthill 4 April 1978
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Seventh series

A seventh series of Swiss banknotes was designed and printed in 1984, in parallel with the sixth series, but was never released. It formed the reserve series, to be released, for example, if the current series were suddenly to become widely counterfeited. At first, almost no information was released on the series for security reasons, except for small fragments. However, after the eighth series was released, it was decided to improve the security features of the current series rather than develop a new reserve series. The details of the seventh series were later released, while the actual banknotes were destroyed. The designers were Roger Pfund and Elisabeth Pfund. They had originally won the competition for the design of the sixth series, but since the Swiss National Bank decided to use the design by Ernst and Ursula Hiestand instead, the Pfunds were charged with the design of the reserve series.[17][18]

7th series of Swiss banknotes[15]
Image Value Dimensions Main colour Description Date of issue
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
File:CHF10 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF10 7 back horizontal.jpg 10 francs 137 × 66 mm Red-brown Leonhard Euler; development of the polyhedron, the bridges of Königsberg Gamma function; table for the calculation of numbers; diagram of the Solar System Never issued (reserve series)
File:CHF20 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF20 7 back horizontal.jpg 20 francs 148 × 70 mm Blue Horace-Bénédict de Saussure; quartz crystals; Hornblende beam Hair hygrometer, view of the valley of Chamonix and the Mont Blanc massif; expedition to the Tacul glacier
File:CHF50 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF50 7 back horizontal.jpg 50 francs 159 × 74 mm Green Conrad Gessner; branch of a dwarf cherry tree; foliage of the bush Golden eagle (based on a woodcut from Gessner's Script error: No such module "Lang".); "Metamorphosis of animals"; Latin text from the Historiae Animalium referring to the seven-headed hydra
File:CHF100 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF100 7 back horizontal.jpg 100 francs 170 × 78 mm Dark blue Francesco Borromini; architectural motif from the Basilica of St. John Lateran Raising of the lantern and the spire of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza; floor plan of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane; dove and olive branch
File:CHF500 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF500 7 back horizontal.jpg 500 francs 181 × 82 mm Brown Albrecht von Haller; hexagonal structure of the cell; cell tissue 18th century anatomy plate; x-ray of the human thorax; mountains, referring to his poem "The Alps"
File:CHF1000 7 front horizontal.jpg File:CHF1000 7 back horizontal.jpg 1000 francs 192 × 86 mm Purple Louis Agassiz; structure of the surface of a shellfish Head, skeleton and fossil of a perch; structure of the scales of a perch; ammonite
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Eighth series

The eighth series of Swiss franc banknotes, designed by Jörg Zintzmeyer, entered circulation in 1995. They were withdrawn in 2021.

Eight series (1995–1998)[19]
Designer: Jörg ZintzmeyerScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Image Value Dimensions
(mm) 		Main
colour 		Description Issue Withdrawn
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
File:CHF10 8 front.jpg File:CHF10 8 back.jpg 10 francs 74 × 126 Yellow Le Corbusier Ground plan,
government district
of Chandigarh, India 		8 April 1995 30 April 2021
File:CHF20 8 front.jpg File:CHF20 8 back.jpg 20 francs 74 × 137 Red Arthur Honegger Pacific 231 1 October 1994
File:CHF50 8 front vertical.jpg File:CHF50 8 back vertical.jpg 50 francs 74 × 148 Green Sophie Taeuber-Arp Tête Dada, 1919 3 October 1995
File:CHF100 8 front.jpg File:CHF100 8 back.jpg 100 francs 74 × 159 Blue Alberto Giacometti L'Homme qui marche I 1 October 1998
File:CHF200 8 front.jpg File:CHF200 8 back.jpg 200 francs 74 × 170 Brown Charles Ferdinand Ramuz Lac de Derborence
(Les Diablerets), Lavaux 		1 October 1997
File:CHF1000 8 front.jpg File:CHF1000 8 back.jpg 1000 francs 74 × 181 Purple Jacob Burckhardt Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze 1 April 1998
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Ninth series

In 2005, the Swiss National Bank held a competition to determine the design of the next series of banknotes. The competition was won by Manuel Krebs, but his designs, which include depictions of blood cells and embryos, were met with sufficient opposition from the general public as to discourage the bank from going forward with them.[20] As a result, the ninth series of Swiss franc banknotes was based on designs by second place finalist Manuela Pfrunder.[21] The series was scheduled to be issued around 2010 but was delayed to 2015 due to technical problems in the production.[22][23] The new 50-franc banknote was issued on 12 April 2016, followed by the 20-franc banknote on 17 May 2017, the 10-franc banknote on 18 October 2017, the 200-franc banknote on 22 August 2018, the 1,000-franc banknote on 13 March 2019 and the 100-franc banknote on 12 September 2019.

Ninth series (2016–2018)[24]
Designer: Manuela PfrunderScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Image Value Dimensions
(mm) 		Main
colour 		Description Issue
Obverse Reverse Theme
(Swiss characteristic)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Obverse
(action)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Reverse
(location and object)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
File:CHF 10 9 front.jpg File:CHF 10 9 back.jpg 10 francs 70 × 123 Yellow Time
Organisational talent 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 18 October 2017[25]
File:CHF 20 9 front.jpg File:CHF 20 9 back.jpg 20 francs 70 × 130 Red Light
Creativity 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 17 May 2017
File:CHF 50 9 front.jpg File:CHF 50 9 back.jpg 50 francs 70 × 137 Green Wind
Wealth of experiences 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 12 April 2016
File:CHF 100 9 front.jpg File:CHF 100 9 back.jpg 100 francs 70 × 144 Blue Water
Humanitarian tradition 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 12 September 2019[26]
File:CHF 200 9 front.jpg File:CHF 200 9 back.jpg 200 francs 70 × 151 Brown Matter
Scientific expertise 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 22 August 2018[26]
File:CHF 1000 9 front.jpg File:CHF 1000 9 back.jpg 1000 francs 70 × 158 Purple Language
Communicative flair 		Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 13 March 2019[26]
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Security and counterfeiting

File:CHF Banknotes.jpg
The eighth banknote series possesses at least eighteen security features.[27]

According to the 2008 edition of Guinness World Records, the eighth series of Swiss franc notes is the most secure in the world with up to 18 security features including a tilting digit, which can only be seen from an unusual angle, a UV digit that can only be seen under ultraviolet light and micro text.[28] According to their respective central banks, the rate of counterfeited banknotes as of 2011 was about 1 in 100,000 for the Swiss franc, 1 in 20,000 for the euro, 1 in 10,000 for the United States dollar and 1 in 3,333 for the pound sterling.[29]

See also

Notes and references

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  1. ↑ Template:HDS; A. Meier: Monnaies....
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ All banknote series of the SNB, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ First banknote series 1907, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  11. ↑ Second banknote series 1911, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  12. ↑ Third banknote series 1918, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  13. ↑ Fourth banknote series 1938, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  14. ↑ Fifth banknote series 1957, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 30 September 2007.
  15. ↑ a b Sixth banknote series 1976, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Seventh banknote series, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 30 September 2007.
  18. ↑ Jean-Marc Côté, "Habiller l'argent : Roger Pfund Script error: No such module "webarchive".", Bulletin de l'Association des Numismates Francophones du Canada. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ New banknotes project Script error: No such module "webarchive". on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 1 June 2007.
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Press release of 13 december 2012: Issue of new banknote series delayed. Script error: No such module "webarchive". Last accessed 5 September 2012
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ An overview of the security features Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Swiss National Bank (page visited on 11 October 2013).
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Template:In lang Michel Beuret, "Les mystères de la fausse monnaie", Allez savoir !, number 50, June 2011.

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Bibliography

  • Michel de Rivaz, The Swiss banknote: 1907–1997, Genoud, 1997 (Template:ISBN).
  • Albert Meier, Monnaies – Billets de Banque. Suisse – Liechtenstein 1798–1995, Hünibach, 1996.

External links

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