Coins
of the year 2022

1

Preserving ephemeral beauty:
the „Morteratsch glacier“ coin

The bimetallic „Morteratsch glacier“ 10-franc coin, the first in the new three-part „Swiss glacier“ series, was issued on 13 January 2022.

The Morteratsch glacier is one of the mightiest in the Alps and the largest in Bernina Region, part of the Upper Engadine in the canton of Graubünden. It reached its peak extension during the Little Ice Age of the mid-19th century. Since then it has receded by around three kilometres in length, shrinking by about 40 metres a year. Meltwater flowing down has caused several caves to form under the glacier tongue, the end of the ice stream.

Could glaciers soon be history?
In earlier times, the Morteratsch glacier stretched down into the valley, which is why it is also referred to as a valley glacier. Today the glacier is still about 6.4km long and covers an area of 14.9km2. Climate change means that many of the world’s glaciers are retreating. Efforts are therefore under way to stop them shrinking, for example by covering the ice surface during the warm season.

Text in Switzerland’s fourth language
The 10-franc coin is bimetallic, comprising two precious metals: gold and silver. The obverse features the glacier in the centre, embedded in the landscape, surrounded in the outer ring by the Romansh words „Vadret da Morteratsch enturn il 1820“ (Morteratsch glacier c. 1820). The coin was designed by Swissmint engraver Remo Mascherini. The Rosenlaui glacier is planned as the next motif in 2023 and the Rhone glacier in 2024.

Mintage

Uncirculated
10,800 units

Proof in presentation case with certificate of authenticity
2,250 units

Proof in presentation case with certificate from the artist
250 units

Brilliant uncirculated coin set with bimetallic “Morteratsch glacier” coin
5,000 units

Proof coin set with bimetallic “Morteratsch glacier” coin
2,000 units

Polierte Platte im Etui mit Echtheitszertifikat

2

New material:
platinum

At the beginning of 2022, Swissmint issued a special platinum coin for the first time in its history. It has a face value of CHF 25.

Platinum is a chemical element. It has a high density and is significantly harder than gold. The precious metal is very resistant to corrosion, meaning that it is virtually immune to decomposition, for example due to rust. Its melting point is approximately 1,800 °C. Platinum was probably first used in Ancient Egypt in around 3000 BC. Today, it is used in a variety of areas, including automotive catalytic converters, jewellery, coins, laboratory and analytical equipment, medical implants, pacemakers and cancer therapy. The main sources of raw materials are South Africa, Russia, Canada and the United States.

A miniature chemistry lesson
The obverse features a modern illustration of platinum as a raw material. It depicts the element symbol Pt for platinum in the middle of a cogwheel, among other things. To the left of it is a column of atomic numbers from the periodic table, which add up to 78. The number 195.084 below the symbolic element Pt corresponds to the atomic mass. In the lower third of the obverse, the word PLATINUM is featured in capital letters and in italics. The coin was designed by Swissmint engraver Remo Mascherini.

Mintage

Proof in presentation case with certificate of authenticity
999 units

Goldmünze «100 Jahre letzte Prägung 10-Franken-Vreneli»

3

Gold coin „100 year anniversary of the last minting of the 10-franc Vreneli“

With the 50-franc gold coin issued on 11 May 2022, Swissmint is commemorating 100 years since the last minting of the gold Vreneli with a face value of CHF 10 in 1922.

The 10-franc gold Vreneli, featuring the bust of a woman looking to the left, with thick, plaited hair and an edelweiss wreath around her shoulders, was minted for the last time in 1922. It is the little sister of the legendary 20-franc gold Vreneli and was produced between 1911 and 1922 at the Swiss mint in Bern. The coin weighs 3.226g with a gold fineness of 900/1000 and has a diameter of 19mm. A total of 2.65 million coins were minted between 1911 and 1922.

Iconic coin with a high sentimental value
The obverse bears the number 100, with both zeros superimposed, in reference to the last minting. Inside the second zero is an enlarged section of the bust of the woman on the original Vreneli, looking to the left. At the bottom of the coin, separated by a vertical line, are the dates 1911 and 1922 for the period during which the 10-franc gold Vreneli was issued. The reverse from the original minting was retained, with two minor adjustments. The face value is now CHF 50 and the year of minting is 2022. The coin was designed by Swissmint engraver Remo Mascherini.

Mintage

Proof in presentation case with certificate of authenticity
4,750 units

Proof in presentation case with certificate from the
250 units

Bekenntnis zur Nachhaltigkeit, in Metall gegossen: «Sonnenenergie»

4

Commitment to sustainability, cast in metal: „Solar energy“ coin

On 21 July 2022, Swissmint issued the „Solar energy“ 20-franc silver coin, continuing the three-part „Energy of the future“ series launched last year.

In addition to hydropower, the main sources of renewable energy in Switzerland are solar and wind power, although these two are only used to a very modest extent at present.

The obverse of the 20-franc silver „Solar energy“ coin is divided into two halves. The upper half features a colourful abstraction of the rising sun with its rays. The lower half depicts various technical elements related to the extraction of effective energy from the sun as a raw material. Parallel to the lower edge, the words „SONNE“ (sun) and „ENERGIE“ (energy) are written in capital letters, followed by the terms „soleil“ in French and „sole“ in Italian. As with last year’s „Hydropower“ special coin, the fluorescent elements glow in the dark. Swissmint engraver Benjamin Löbbert is responsible for the design.

The reverse has been redesigned by another Swissmint engraver, Remo Mascherini. The aim is for it to create a link to the obverse in the future and, depending on the topic, continue to tell the story of the obverse. For example, a technical drawing of the sun combined with solar cells is depicted in the centre of the reverse of the „Solar energy“ silver coin.