Swiss Confederation - very interestinga country with a rich history and culture. In addition, it is one of the few countries in Europe that has retained its national currency, and has not switched to the euro. Perhaps that is why many collectors and numismatists collect coins from Switzerland.
Short story
The official currency of Switzerland isSwiss franc, which was put into circulation in 1798. Soon it was stopped and released only in 1850. At the same time, Swiss coins appeared, although the issue of metal coins in the country was before.
The Swiss franc is divided into one hundred rappenes.To date, the Swiss Central Bank has been issuing coins worth five, ten and twenty rappen. Also there are metal denominations of half the Swiss franc, one franc, two and five. The coin in two rappen ceased to be minted in 1974, and in 2006 the production of coins was stopped at a cost of one rappen.
Description
Coin 5 Rappen is made of alloyaluminum, copper and nickel. All the rest, not including commemorative and jubilee, are produced from the alloy of copper and nickel in the ratio of 750 to 250. On the reverse of coins of denomination of five, ten and twenty rappen is depicted the face value framed by a wreath, and on the obverse - the allegorical image of the human head and the inscription Swiss Confederation on Latin.
On coins with a denomination of 0.5 francs, one and twofranc on the reverse depicts the denomination around which a wreath, the obverse is decorated with the image of a standing woman with a shield-flag in her hands and a spear. This is an allegory to Helvetia, which is a personified symbol of Switzerland. There are 22 stars around Helvetia.
Coin 5 francs (Switzerland) depicts on the obverseimage of the national literary hero of the country William Tell. Also on the front side is an inscription - the Swiss Confederation in Latin. The reverse shows us the image of the emblem of the country framed by the stems of the flowers of the edelweiss and gentian.
Cost of Swiss coins
Collectors rarely gather purposefullySwiss money, but there is still interest in them. You can buy Swiss coins without much difficulty, even in Russia. Of course, not every antiques store or specialized outlet is Swiss. But there are many online stores where you can easily purchase coins from Switzerland. The price for them, as a rule, is not too high. Ordinary coins worth 5 Rappen will cost you only 20-30 rubles. The cost varies depending on the year of coinage and the degree of preservation.
The formation of the price is also affected by its nominal value andcirculation of release. So, the commemorative coins of Switzerland, which are produced periodically, will cost much higher than usual, minted regularly and in large volumes. For example, commemorative coins issued for the centenary of Le Corbusier in 1987, in Russia you can buy for about 500-600 rubles. Approximately the same amount will cost other commemorative coins minted in the 80s.
The older the coin, the higher its value.This is due to the antiquarian value, and also the fact that the longer coins are in circulation, the harder it is to find them. Rarity adds value to the price. The cost is determined individually. This is done by a qualified specialist who forms a price, guided by a number of factors. An experienced collector can independently determine the value of a coin of Switzerland, but in this case the probability of incorrect evaluation is high.
Jubilee coins
Commemorative coins in Switzerland though are issued,but this is not permanent. Most often their denomination is ten, twenty and fifty Swiss francs. In 2005, a series of bimetallic ten-francs coins was issued, on which the Jungfrau mountain was depicted. In 2009, another series of 10 francs came out, depicting the Swiss National Park.
In the year 2007was minted a party of commemorative coins featuring the fortress of Mouton. Their nominal value was 20 francs. In 2004, coins of 50 francs were issued, on which Matterhorn was depicted.
Conclusion
The coins of Switzerland, although they do not enjoyhigh demand among numismatists, collectors, but still quite interesting. Abroad, they are more often collected than in Russia. Therefore, it is easier to find them there. In specialized Russian stores, the choice of Swiss coins is small, but in online stores there is plenty to choose from. Their cost is not too big, and it is not difficult to order.
For the general collection, Swiss coins will bean excellent addition and decoration, so it makes sense to pay attention to them. And the fact that in Russia they are not in high demand will make them a kind of exclusive of your unique collection. If you want to buy a certain coin, which is not in Russian online stores, you can also search it on foreign sites. Often rare copies are sold on online auctions.
