Switzerland’s numismatic heritage

Since the introduction of the Swiss franc in 1850, we have preserved specimen copies of all the coins and medals we have minted. Over the years, this has grown into Switzerland’s numismatic heritage. Daniela Weithaler, the new Head of Marketing and Sales at Swissmint, presents the first highlight from this collection.

At Swissmint, the Swiss federal mint, we embody the art of Swiss coinage. Our coins promote Swiss values and Swiss craftsmanship far beyond our national borders. We mint circulation coins and special coins of numismatic value on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. Furthermore, we are also the custodians of the numismatic heritage of the Swiss franc and Swiss coinage. Since the introduction of the Swiss franc in 1850, we have preserved specimen

copies of all the coins and medals we have minted. Over the years, this has grown into Switzerland’s numismatic heritage.

Today, we offer you a first glimpse into Switzerland’s numismatic heritage. Daniela Weithaler, the new Head of Marketing and Sales at Swissmint, presents the first highlight from this collection.

175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution

About the Swiss franc

The Swiss franc was introduced as Switzerland’s currency under the Act on Federal Coinage of 7 May 1850. The Coinage Act of 1850 was closely modelled on the French monetary system. The “franc” was defined in Article 1 as: “Five grammes of silver, nine-tenths fine, constitute the Swiss coin unit, known as the franc.” The coin designs were created by the award-winning Geneva-based medallist Antoine Bovy. As the Confederation did not have a suitable mint of its own, the first federal coins were struck in Paris and Strasbourg.

175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution

More about Swissmint

About Swissmint

Following a two-year trial period, the Confederation took over the former mint of the canton of Bern in Gerberngraben in 1855. In 1906, the new federal mint was opened in Bern’s Kirchenfeld district. This was granted a new status from 1 January 1998. The division of the Federal Finance Administration responsible for the administrative aspects of coinage and the production operations of the Federal Mint were merged under the name Swissmint. In October 1999, Swissmint took over the distribution of collector coins from the Swiss National Bank.

Image source: Keystone / Christian Beutler

More about SwissmintMore about Swissmint

About Switzerland’s numismatic heritage

“The Swiss franc represents the world’s longest continuous history of modern coin minting. Since its first minting, only the smallest adjustments have been made, otherwise the coin has remained unchanged. And of course this coin is a symbol of Switzerland.”

Christian Weiss, Curator of Numismatics & Seals at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, on the 1-franc coins in the permanent exhibition on Swiss history at the Swiss National Museum (Interview with Christian Weiss).

In order to perpetuate this historical record at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, we supply two specimens of every coin we mint to the museum. We retain at least two further specimens in our own archives.

Why does Swissmint keep specimens of all the coins and medals it mints?

“Nowadays, we can no longer say for certain. It stands to reason that specimen copies served early on as comparison and reference pieces when it came to identifying counterfeits. Regardless of this, the practice has established itself as a reliable working tool: it enables comprehensible documentation of every issue. Today, the collection serves a number of purposes, ranging from a reference source to a historical archive, and thus represents Switzerland’s numismatic heritage.”

Daniela Weithaler,
Head of Sales and Marketing Swissmint

Daniela Weithaler, the new Head of Marketing and Sales at Swissmint, presents the first highlight from this collection: the official special coin from 2012 featuring “Globi”, which was minted to mark the character’s 80th anniversary.

“As someone from Ticino, I’d never had any connection to Globi before, so it’s not childhood memories that draw me to this coin. The design is simply charming and full of positive energy, and I think we can never get enough of that. When I then discovered the book “Globi’s Italian cuisine” online, it was clear which coin I’d choose as my highlight.”

What makes this coin so special for Switzerland’s numismatic heritage?

“We have kept two minting qualities of this coin in our collection: the quality as it was put into circulation on 5 June 2012, and a matt version that never entered circulation.”