The Swiss Confederation is a country located at the crossroads of Western, Southern, and Central Europe. This landlocked nation covers a total area of about 41,285 kilometers and is bordered by Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Switzerland is adorned with the high peaks of the Alps, Alpine lakes, small villages, and lush vegetation. The Swiss franc (CHF) is the official legal tender of Switzerland and its neighbor country Liechtenstein.
The CHF currency abbreviation stands for the Swiss Confederation’s Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica franc. The Swiss franc is the world’s seventh most traded currency and is the only franc that still circulates in Europe.
The Swiss Franc
Officially recognized as the national currency in May 1850, the Swiss franc replaced various numbers of currency issued by cantons. The Swiss National Bank is responsible for the issuance of Franc banknotes since 1907. Since there was not enough time to produce new notes during the period between its establishment and the start of operations, the Swiss National Bank’s first series of banknotes was the so-called interim banknotes. These notes bear the new issuer’s name. Also a rosette overprint with the Swiss cross at the upper right of their obverse. Featured on the obverse of these banknotes are the country’s female personification, Helvetia to the left, and also a kneeling cherub to the right. Meanwhile, their reverse shows the denomination in French, German, and Italian texts, flanked by the bust of an allegorical man, Mercury.
Modern Series of Banknotes
Recent Swiss franc banknotes are vertical-oriented and in vibrant colors. It is designed by the Zurich-based artist Manuel Pfrunder. This new family of notes was also inspired by the “The many facets of Switzerland” theme. These paper bills are equipped with enhanced security features such as Omron rings, intaglio printing, microtext, latent images, micro-perf Swiss cross, holographic stripes, UV printing, watermarks, security threads, and a multicolor Swiss cross registration device. This series got the Best New Banknote Series award at the High Security Printing EMEA Conference in Malta.
