Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Swiss Franc shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Swiss Franc offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Swiss Franc at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Swiss Franc? Wrong! If the Swiss Franc is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Swiss Franc then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Swiss Franc? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Swiss Franc and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Swiss Franc wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Swiss Franc then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Swiss Franc site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Swiss Franc, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Swiss Franc, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Currency || currency_name_in_local = franc suisse Schweizer Franken franco svizzero franc svizzer | image_1 = CHF10 8 front.jpg| image_title_1 = 10 francs| image_2 = 1francosvizzero1983front.jpg| image_title_2 = 1 franc| iso_code = CHF| using_countries = Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione d'Italia, Büsingen] centime centesimo rap ] centimes centesimi raps ]| issuing_authority_website = www.snb.ch| printer = Orell Füssli Arts Graphiques SA (Zürich)| mint = Swissmint: CHF or 756) is the [currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Italy Enclave and exclave Campione d'Italia and the Germany exclave Büsingen also use the Swiss franc. Franc banknotes are issued by the central bank of Switzerland, the Swiss National Bank, while coins are issued by the federal mint, Swissmint.

The Swiss franc is the only version of the franc still issued in Europe. Its name in the four official languages of Switzerland is Franken (German language), franc (French language and Romansh), and franco (Italian language). The smaller denomination, which is worth a hundredth of a franc, is called Rappen (Rp.) in German, centime (c.) in French, centesimo (ct.) in Italian and rap (rp.) in Rhaeto-Romanic. The official ISO code of the currency used by banks and financial institutions is CHF, though most users of the currency, including advertisers, and stores generally use the often more common Fr. abbreviation. Some users also write SFr.. SwF has been used in some publications but is not an official abbreviation. http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/currency_table.html CHF stands for Confoederatio Helvetica franc. Latin is used as the neutral representation of the country because the people of Switzerland speak four national languages.

History First Frank, 1798-1803 Before 1798, about 75 entities were making coins in Switzerland, including the 25 Cantons of Switzerlands and half-cantons, 16 cities, and abbeys, resulting in about 860 different coins in circulation, with different values and denominations. See Basel thaler, Berne thaler, Fribourg gulden, Geneva thaler, Geneva genevoise, Luzern gulden, Neuchâtel gulden, St. Gallen thaler, Schwyz gulden, Solothurn thaler, Valais thaler, Zug schilling and Zürich thaler.

In 1798, the Helvetian Republic introduced a currency based on the Frank, subdivided into 10 Batzen or 100 Rappen. The Swiss frank was equal to 6¾ grams pure silver or 1½ French francs. This Frank was issued until the end of the Helvetian Republic but served as the model for the currencies of several Cantons of Switzerlands in the re-formed Swiss Confederacy. For these cantonal currencies, see Aargau frank, Appenzell frank, Basel frank, Berne frank, Fribourg frank, Geneva franc, Glarus frank, Graubünden frank, Luzern frank, St. Gallen frank, Schaffhausen frank, Schwyz frank, Solothurn frank, Thurgau frank, Ticino franco, Unterwalden frank, Uri frank, Vaud franc and Zürich frank.

Second franc, 1850- Although 22 cantons and half-cantons issued coins between 1803 and 1850, less than 15% of the money in circulation in Switzerland in 1850 was locally produced, with the rest being foreign, mainly brought back by mercenaries. In addition, some private banks also started issuing the first banknotes, so that in total, at least 8000 different coins and notes were in circulation at that time, making the monetary system extremely complicated. Otto Paul Wenger, p. 49–50. 150 Years of Swiss coinage

In order to solve this problem, the new Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848 specified that the Federal Government would be the only entity allowed to make money in Switzerland. This was followed two years later by the first Federal Coinage Act, passed by the Federal Assembly on 7 May 1850, which introduced the franc as the monetary unit of Switzerland. The franc was introduced at par with the French franc. It replaced the different currencies of the Swiss cantons, some of which had been using a franc (divided into 10 batzen and 100 rappen) which was worth 1½ French francs.

In 1865, France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland formed the Latin Monetary Union, where they agreed to change their national currencies to a standard of 4.5 grams of silver or 0.290322 grams of gold. Even after the monetary union faded away in the 1920s and officially ended in 1927, the Swiss franc remained on that standard until 1936, when it suffered its sole devaluation, on 27 September during the Great Depression. The currency was devalued by 30% following the devaluations of the Pound sterling, United States dollar and French franc. Table of currency devaluations in the United States and Europe following the devaluation the pound in 1931, in Monetary History of Gold: volume 3 — After the Gold Standard In 1945, Switzerland joined the Bretton Woods system and pegged the franc to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1 dollar = 4.30521 francs (equivalent to 1 franc = 0.206418 grams of gold). This was changed to 1 dollar = 4.375 francs (1 franc = 0.203125 grams of gold) in 1949.

Between mid-2003 and mid-2006, its exchange rate with the euro had been stable at a value of about 1.55 CHF per euro, so that the Swiss Franc has risen and fallen in tandem with the euro against the U.S. dollar and other currencies. Since mid-2006, the Swiss franc has been appreciating against euro.

The Swiss franc has historically been considered a safe haven currency with virtually zero inflation and a legal requirement that a minimum 40% is backed by Official gold reserves. Declaration of the Swiss Government, through the Federal Finance and Customs Department, and the National Bank of Switzerland regarding the purchase and sale of gold, in Monetary History of Gold: volume 3 — After the Gold Standard However, this link to gold, which dates from the 1920s, was terminated on 1 May 2000 following a referendum regarding the World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss Banks with Banking in Switzerland and an amendment to the Swiss Federal Constitution. Federal Law on Currency and Legal Tender to enter into force on 1 May 2000, Press Release, [12 April 2000. Last accessed 2006-03-02.

Coins First Frank Between 1798 and 1803, billon coins were issued in denominations of 1 Rappen, ½ and 1 Batzen. Silver coins were issued for 5, 10, 20 and 40 Batzen, with the 40 Batzen also issued with the denomination given as 4 Franken. Gold 16 and 32 Franken coins were issued in 1800.

Second franc In 1850, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 centimes, ½, 1, 2 and 5 francs, with the 1 and 2 centimes struck in bronze, the 5, 10 and 20 centimes in billon and the franc denominations in .900 fineness silver. Between 1860 and 1863, .800 fineness silver was used before the standard used in France of .835 fineness was adopted for all silver coins except the 5 francs (remained .900 fineness) in 1875. In 1879, billon was replaced by cupro-nickel in the 5 and 10 centimes and by nickel in the 20 centimes . In 1883, gold 20 francs coins were introduced, followed by 10 francs in 1911. Gold was struck for circulation until 1935.

Both world wars only had a small effect on the Swiss coinage, with brass and zinc coins temporarily being issued. In 1931, the size of the 5 francs coin was reduced from 25 grams to 15, with the silver content reduced to .835 fineness. The next year, nickel replaced cupro-nickel in the 5 and 10 centimes. Cupro-nickel was restored to these denominations in 1940, following the switch to cupro-nickel 20 centimes in 1939.

In the late 1960s, due to linkage to the devaluing U.S. dollar, the prices of internationally traded commodities rose significantly. A silver coin's material value exceeded its monetary value, and many were being sent abroad for melting, which prompted the Swiss Federal Council to make this practice illegal. 150 Years of Swiss coinage: From silver to cupronickel, on the website of Swissmint. Last accessed 2006-03-02. The statute was of little effect, and the melting of francs only subsided when the collectible value of the remaining francs again exceeded their material value. In 1968, cupro-nickel replaced silver in all four denominations. The 2 centimes coin was discontinued in 1974, with aluminium-brass replacing cupro-nickel in the 5 centimes.

The 1 centime coin was still produced until 2006, albeit in ever decreasing quantities, but it didn't play any great role in the monetary economy in the fourth quarter of the twentieth century. People and groups who could justify the use of 1 centime coins for monetary purposes could obtain them at face value; any other user (such as collectors) had to pay an additional 4 centimes per coin to cover the production costs, which had exceeded the actual face value of the coin for many years. The coin fell into disuse in the late 1970s and early 1980s but only officially was fully withdrawn from circulation and declared not legal tender as of 01.01.2007. The long forgotten 2 centime coin was withdrawn in the early eighties.The 5 centime coin remains in use, in circulation and still legal tender for the time being notwithstanding the production cost of 11 centimes per coin. One of the main reasons why the Confederation can not allow the elimination of this coin, is pricing of goods and services as well as and possibly more due to the fact that a second class stamp costs 85 centimes at present. Swiss Post are looking into the possibility of a price rise or the elimination of the second class service which could ultimately pave the way for the elimination of the 5 centime coin therewith.

{{Coin image box 2 singles] expansion of the Swiss federation, when Canton of Jura seceded from Canton of Bern and became the 23rd canton.

All Swiss coins are language-neutral (at least with respect to Switzerland's four national languages), featuring only numerals, the abbreviation "Fr." for franc, and the Latin phrases "Helvetia" or "Confœderatio Helvetica" (depending on the denomination).

In addition to these general circulation coins, numerous series of commemorative coins have been issued, as well as gold coins including the well-known Vreneli. These coins generally remain legal tender, but are not used as such because their material or collector's value usually exceeds their face value.

{].|-!Value!Diameter
(mm)!Thickness
(mm)!Weight
(g)!Composition!Remarks|-|1 centime|16|1.10|1.5|Bronze|Made in [Cupronickel or pure Nickel until 1980]||-|20 centimes|21.05|1.65|4|Cupronickel||-|1/2 franc
(50 centimes)|18.20|1.25|2.2|Cupronickel|In silver until 1967] -->In 1907, the Swiss National Bank took over the issuance of banknotes from the cantons and various banks. It introduced denominations of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 francs. 20 francs notes were introduced in 1911, followed by 5 francs in 1913. In 1914, the Federal Treasury issued paper money in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 francs. These notes were issued in three different version: French, German and Italian. The State Loan Bank also issued 25 francs notes that year. In 1952, the National Bank ceased issuing 5 francs but introduced 10 francs notes in 1955. In 1996, 200 francs notes were introduced whilst the 500 francs was discontinued.

Eight series of banknotes have been printed by the National Bank, six of which have been released for use by the general public. The sixth series from 1976, designed by Ernst Hiestand and Ursula Hiestand, depicted personalities of the world of science.It has been recalled and replaced and will lose any value on 1 May 2020. As of 2006, a large number of notes from this series has not yet been exchanged, even though it has not been legal tender for more than 5 years; for example, the value of 500 francs banknotes still in circulation represents 167.4 millions Swiss Francs.Swiss National Bank, Monthly Statistical Bulletin January 2006, A2: Banknotes and coins in circulation. Berne, January 2006

The seventh series was printed, but kept as a "reserve series", ready to be used if, for example, wide counterfeiting of the current series suddenly happened. When the Swiss National Bank decided to develop new security features and to abandon the concept of a reserve series, the details of the seventh series were released and the printed notes were destroyed Seventh banknote series. Last accessed 27 September 2007.

The current, eighth series of banknotes was designed by Jörg Zintzmeyer around the theme of the arts and released starting in 1995. In addition to a new design, this series was different from the previous one on several counts. Probably the most important difference from a practical point of view was that the seldom-used 500 franc note was replaced by a new 200 francs note; this new note has indeed proved more successful than the old 500 francs note.The global value of 200 francs notes in circulation in 2000 (5120.0 million francs) is larger than the value of 500 notes in 1996 (3912.30), even when these figures are corrected for the global increase in total value of Swiss banknotes in circulation (+9%). Figures from the Monthly Statistical Bulletin of the Swiss National Bank, January 2006, Op cit The base colours of the new notes were kept similar to the old ones, except the 20 francs note which was changed from blue to red to prevent a frequent confusion with the 100 francs note, and the 10 francs note which was changed from red to yellow. The size of the notes was changed as well, with all notes from the 8th series having the same height (74 mm); while the widths were changed as well, still increasing with the value of the note. The new series contains many more security features than the previous one; An overview of the security features, Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 26 February 2006. many (but not all) of them are now visibly displayed and have been widely advertised, in contrast with the previous series where most of the features were kept secret.

{] 2007.]|8 April 1997|[1 October 1996|[3 October 1995|[1 October 1998|[1 October 1997|[1 April 1998 [2000. Last accessed 26 February 2006.

In February 2005, a competition was launched for the design of the 9th series planned to be released around 2010 on the theme Switzerland open to the world. The results were announced in November 2005, but the selected design drew widespread criticisms from the population. New banknotes project, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 27 September 2007.

Currency in circulation As of December 2005, the total value of released Swiss coins and banknotes was 43,834.99 million Swiss francs. Swiss National Bank, Monthly Statistical Bulletin January 2006, A2: Banknotes and coins in circulation. Berne, January 2006

{], January 2006|-! Coins! 10 Francs! 20 Francs! 50 Francs! 100 Francs! 200 Francs! 500 Francs! 1000 Francs! Total|-|2468.45|611.29|1293.11|1798.46|7977.21|6280.35|167.39|23,238.84|43,834.99|}Combinations of up to 100 usual Swiss coins (not including special or commemorative coins) are legal tender; banknotes are legal tender for any amount. Art. 3 of the Swiss law on Monetary Unit and means of payment. German, French and Italian versions.

The Swiss Franc The franc as an international reserve currency See also

Notes References

External links {{Standard numismatics external links| world_coin_gallery_1_url = Switzer| world_coin_gallery_1_name = Switzerland| banknote_world_1_url = switzerland| banknote_world_1_name = Switzerland| dollarization_1_url =| dollarization_1_name =| gfd_1_url = Switzerland| gfd_1_name = Switzerland| gfd_data_1_url = 4026| gfd_data_1_name = Switzerland Franc| show_gfd_excel = Y-->

{{Infobox Currency || currency_name_in_local = franc suisse Schweizer Franken franco svizzero franc svizzer | image_1 = CHF10 8 front.jpg| image_title_1 = 10 francs| image_2 = 1francosvizzero1983front.jpg| image_title_2 = 1 franc| iso_code = CHF| using_countries = Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione d'Italia, Büsingen] centime centesimo rap ] centimes centesimi raps ]| issuing_authority_website = www.snb.ch| printer = Orell Füssli Arts Graphiques SA (Zürich)| mint = Swissmint: CHF or 756) is the [currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Italy Enclave and exclave Campione d'Italia and the Germany exclave Büsingen also use the Swiss franc. Franc banknotes are issued by the central bank of Switzerland, the Swiss National Bank, while coins are issued by the federal mint, Swissmint.

The Swiss franc is the only version of the franc still issued in Europe. Its name in the four official languages of Switzerland is Franken (German language), franc (French language and Romansh), and franco (Italian language). The smaller denomination, which is worth a hundredth of a franc, is called Rappen (Rp.) in German, centime (c.) in French, centesimo (ct.) in Italian and rap (rp.) in Rhaeto-Romanic. The official ISO code of the currency used by banks and financial institutions is CHF, though most users of the currency, including advertisers, and stores generally use the often more common Fr. abbreviation. Some users also write SFr.. SwF has been used in some publications but is not an official abbreviation. http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/currency_table.html CHF stands for Confoederatio Helvetica franc. Latin is used as the neutral representation of the country because the people of Switzerland speak four national languages.

History First Frank, 1798-1803 Before 1798, about 75 entities were making coins in Switzerland, including the 25 Cantons of Switzerlands and half-cantons, 16 cities, and abbeys, resulting in about 860 different coins in circulation, with different values and denominations. See Basel thaler, Berne thaler, Fribourg gulden, Geneva thaler, Geneva genevoise, Luzern gulden, Neuchâtel gulden, St. Gallen thaler, Schwyz gulden, Solothurn thaler, Valais thaler, Zug schilling and Zürich thaler.

In 1798, the Helvetian Republic introduced a currency based on the Frank, subdivided into 10 Batzen or 100 Rappen. The Swiss frank was equal to 6¾ grams pure silver or 1½ French francs. This Frank was issued until the end of the Helvetian Republic but served as the model for the currencies of several Cantons of Switzerlands in the re-formed Swiss Confederacy. For these cantonal currencies, see Aargau frank, Appenzell frank, Basel frank, Berne frank, Fribourg frank, Geneva franc, Glarus frank, Graubünden frank, Luzern frank, St. Gallen frank, Schaffhausen frank, Schwyz frank, Solothurn frank, Thurgau frank, Ticino franco, Unterwalden frank, Uri frank, Vaud franc and Zürich frank.

Second franc, 1850- Although 22 cantons and half-cantons issued coins between 1803 and 1850, less than 15% of the money in circulation in Switzerland in 1850 was locally produced, with the rest being foreign, mainly brought back by mercenaries. In addition, some private banks also started issuing the first banknotes, so that in total, at least 8000 different coins and notes were in circulation at that time, making the monetary system extremely complicated. Otto Paul Wenger, p. 49–50. 150 Years of Swiss coinage

In order to solve this problem, the new Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848 specified that the Federal Government would be the only entity allowed to make money in Switzerland. This was followed two years later by the first Federal Coinage Act, passed by the Federal Assembly on 7 May 1850, which introduced the franc as the monetary unit of Switzerland. The franc was introduced at par with the French franc. It replaced the different currencies of the Swiss cantons, some of which had been using a franc (divided into 10 batzen and 100 rappen) which was worth 1½ French francs.

In 1865, France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland formed the Latin Monetary Union, where they agreed to change their national currencies to a standard of 4.5 grams of silver or 0.290322 grams of gold. Even after the monetary union faded away in the 1920s and officially ended in 1927, the Swiss franc remained on that standard until 1936, when it suffered its sole devaluation, on 27 September during the Great Depression. The currency was devalued by 30% following the devaluations of the Pound sterling, United States dollar and French franc. Table of currency devaluations in the United States and Europe following the devaluation the pound in 1931, in Monetary History of Gold: volume 3 — After the Gold Standard In 1945, Switzerland joined the Bretton Woods system and pegged the franc to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1 dollar = 4.30521 francs (equivalent to 1 franc = 0.206418 grams of gold). This was changed to 1 dollar = 4.375 francs (1 franc = 0.203125 grams of gold) in 1949.

Between mid-2003 and mid-2006, its exchange rate with the euro had been stable at a value of about 1.55 CHF per euro, so that the Swiss Franc has risen and fallen in tandem with the euro against the U.S. dollar and other currencies. Since mid-2006, the Swiss franc has been appreciating against euro.

The Swiss franc has historically been considered a safe haven currency with virtually zero inflation and a legal requirement that a minimum 40% is backed by Official gold reserves. Declaration of the Swiss Government, through the Federal Finance and Customs Department, and the National Bank of Switzerland regarding the purchase and sale of gold, in Monetary History of Gold: volume 3 — After the Gold Standard However, this link to gold, which dates from the 1920s, was terminated on 1 May 2000 following a referendum regarding the World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss Banks with Banking in Switzerland and an amendment to the Swiss Federal Constitution. Federal Law on Currency and Legal Tender to enter into force on 1 May 2000, Press Release, [12 April 2000. Last accessed 2006-03-02.

Coins First Frank Between 1798 and 1803, billon coins were issued in denominations of 1 Rappen, ½ and 1 Batzen. Silver coins were issued for 5, 10, 20 and 40 Batzen, with the 40 Batzen also issued with the denomination given as 4 Franken. Gold 16 and 32 Franken coins were issued in 1800.

Second franc In 1850, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 centimes, ½, 1, 2 and 5 francs, with the 1 and 2 centimes struck in bronze, the 5, 10 and 20 centimes in billon and the franc denominations in .900 fineness silver. Between 1860 and 1863, .800 fineness silver was used before the standard used in France of .835 fineness was adopted for all silver coins except the 5 francs (remained .900 fineness) in 1875. In 1879, billon was replaced by cupro-nickel in the 5 and 10 centimes and by nickel in the 20 centimes . In 1883, gold 20 francs coins were introduced, followed by 10 francs in 1911. Gold was struck for circulation until 1935.

Both world wars only had a small effect on the Swiss coinage, with brass and zinc coins temporarily being issued. In 1931, the size of the 5 francs coin was reduced from 25 grams to 15, with the silver content reduced to .835 fineness. The next year, nickel replaced cupro-nickel in the 5 and 10 centimes. Cupro-nickel was restored to these denominations in 1940, following the switch to cupro-nickel 20 centimes in 1939.

In the late 1960s, due to linkage to the devaluing U.S. dollar, the prices of internationally traded commodities rose significantly. A silver coin's material value exceeded its monetary value, and many were being sent abroad for melting, which prompted the Swiss Federal Council to make this practice illegal. 150 Years of Swiss coinage: From silver to cupronickel, on the website of Swissmint. Last accessed 2006-03-02. The statute was of little effect, and the melting of francs only subsided when the collectible value of the remaining francs again exceeded their material value. In 1968, cupro-nickel replaced silver in all four denominations. The 2 centimes coin was discontinued in 1974, with aluminium-brass replacing cupro-nickel in the 5 centimes.

The 1 centime coin was still produced until 2006, albeit in ever decreasing quantities, but it didn't play any great role in the monetary economy in the fourth quarter of the twentieth century. People and groups who could justify the use of 1 centime coins for monetary purposes could obtain them at face value; any other user (such as collectors) had to pay an additional 4 centimes per coin to cover the production costs, which had exceeded the actual face value of the coin for many years. The coin fell into disuse in the late 1970s and early 1980s but only officially was fully withdrawn from circulation and declared not legal tender as of 01.01.2007. The long forgotten 2 centime coin was withdrawn in the early eighties.The 5 centime coin remains in use, in circulation and still legal tender for the time being notwithstanding the production cost of 11 centimes per coin. One of the main reasons why the Confederation can not allow the elimination of this coin, is pricing of goods and services as well as and possibly more due to the fact that a second class stamp costs 85 centimes at present. Swiss Post are looking into the possibility of a price rise or the elimination of the second class service which could ultimately pave the way for the elimination of the 5 centime coin therewith.

{{Coin image box 2 singles] expansion of the Swiss federation, when Canton of Jura seceded from Canton of Bern and became the 23rd canton.

All Swiss coins are language-neutral (at least with respect to Switzerland's four national languages), featuring only numerals, the abbreviation "Fr." for franc, and the Latin phrases "Helvetia" or "Confœderatio Helvetica" (depending on the denomination).

In addition to these general circulation coins, numerous series of commemorative coins have been issued, as well as gold coins including the well-known Vreneli. These coins generally remain legal tender, but are not used as such because their material or collector's value usually exceeds their face value.

{].|-!Value!Diameter
(mm)!Thickness
(mm)!Weight
(g)!Composition!Remarks|-|1 centime|16|1.10|1.5|Bronze|Made in [Cupronickel or pure Nickel until 1980]||-|20 centimes|21.05|1.65|4|Cupronickel||-|1/2 franc
(50 centimes)|18.20|1.25|2.2|Cupronickel|In silver until 1967] -->In 1907, the Swiss National Bank took over the issuance of banknotes from the cantons and various banks. It introduced denominations of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 francs. 20 francs notes were introduced in 1911, followed by 5 francs in 1913. In 1914, the Federal Treasury issued paper money in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 francs. These notes were issued in three different version: French, German and Italian. The State Loan Bank also issued 25 francs notes that year. In 1952, the National Bank ceased issuing 5 francs but introduced 10 francs notes in 1955. In 1996, 200 francs notes were introduced whilst the 500 francs was discontinued.

Eight series of banknotes have been printed by the National Bank, six of which have been released for use by the general public. The sixth series from 1976, designed by Ernst Hiestand and Ursula Hiestand, depicted personalities of the world of science.It has been recalled and replaced and will lose any value on 1 May 2020. As of 2006, a large number of notes from this series has not yet been exchanged, even though it has not been legal tender for more than 5 years; for example, the value of 500 francs banknotes still in circulation represents 167.4 millions Swiss Francs.Swiss National Bank, Monthly Statistical Bulletin January 2006, A2: Banknotes and coins in circulation. Berne, January 2006

The seventh series was printed, but kept as a "reserve series", ready to be used if, for example, wide counterfeiting of the current series suddenly happened. When the Swiss National Bank decided to develop new security features and to abandon the concept of a reserve series, the details of the seventh series were released and the printed notes were destroyed Seventh banknote series. Last accessed 27 September 2007.

The current, eighth series of banknotes was designed by Jörg Zintzmeyer around the theme of the arts and released starting in 1995. In addition to a new design, this series was different from the previous one on several counts. Probably the most important difference from a practical point of view was that the seldom-used 500 franc note was replaced by a new 200 francs note; this new note has indeed proved more successful than the old 500 francs note.The global value of 200 francs notes in circulation in 2000 (5120.0 million francs) is larger than the value of 500 notes in 1996 (3912.30), even when these figures are corrected for the global increase in total value of Swiss banknotes in circulation (+9%). Figures from the Monthly Statistical Bulletin of the Swiss National Bank, January 2006, Op cit The base colours of the new notes were kept similar to the old ones, except the 20 francs note which was changed from blue to red to prevent a frequent confusion with the 100 francs note, and the 10 francs note which was changed from red to yellow. The size of the notes was changed as well, with all notes from the 8th series having the same height (74 mm); while the widths were changed as well, still increasing with the value of the note. The new series contains many more security features than the previous one; An overview of the security features, Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 26 February 2006. many (but not all) of them are now visibly displayed and have been widely advertised, in contrast with the previous series where most of the features were kept secret.

{] 2007.]|8 April 1997|[1 October 1996|[3 October 1995|[1 October 1998|[1 October 1997|[1 April 1998 [2000. Last accessed 26 February 2006.

In February 2005, a competition was launched for the design of the 9th series planned to be released around 2010 on the theme Switzerland open to the world. The results were announced in November 2005, but the selected design drew widespread criticisms from the population. New banknotes project, on the website of the Swiss National Bank. Last accessed 27 September 2007.

Currency in circulation As of December 2005, the total value of released Swiss coins and banknotes was 43,834.99 million Swiss francs. Swiss National Bank, Monthly Statistical Bulletin January 2006, A2: Banknotes and coins in circulation. Berne, January 2006

{], January 2006|-! Coins! 10 Francs! 20 Francs! 50 Francs! 100 Francs! 200 Francs! 500 Francs! 1000 Francs! Total|-|2468.45|611.29|1293.11|1798.46|7977.21|6280.35|167.39|23,238.84|43,834.99|}Combinations of up to 100 usual Swiss coins (not including special or commemorative coins) are legal tender; banknotes are legal tender for any amount. Art. 3 of the Swiss law on Monetary Unit and means of payment. German, French and Italian versions.

The Swiss Franc The franc as an international reserve currency See also

Notes References

External links {{Standard numismatics external links| world_coin_gallery_1_url = Switzer| world_coin_gallery_1_name = Switzerland| banknote_world_1_url = switzerland| banknote_world_1_name = Switzerland| dollarization_1_url =| dollarization_1_name =| gfd_1_url = Switzerland| gfd_1_name = Switzerland| gfd_data_1_url = 4026| gfd_data_1_name = Switzerland Franc| show_gfd_excel = Y-->



Swiss franc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The franc (German: Franken, French and Romansh: franc, Italian: franco; ISO 4217: CHF and 756) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal ...

Franc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the French franc, the currency of France until it adopted the euro in 1999 (by law, 2002 de facto), and the Swiss ...

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Swiss Franc, CHF, Switzerland, Information on the Currency of ...
Information on Switzerland and the Swiss franc including currency, economy, and trading information.

RatesFX - Swiss franc, CHF, Exchange rate table
Daily Swiss franc foreign exchange rates and performance information. ... Swiss franc, Monday, August 11 2008, 16:15 EST DST (2008-08-11 20:15 UTC)

CME Swiss Franc Futures & Options
Financial institutions, investment managers, corporations and private investors can use CME® Swiss franc futures to manage the risks associated with currency rate fluctuation and ...

Swiss franc - definition of Swiss franc by the Free Online Dictionary ...
Noun: 1. Swiss franc - the basic unit of money in Switzerland. franc - the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes

NewsNow: Swiss Franc
NewsNow: Swiss Franc ... Swiss Franc Slips To New Multi-month Lows Against Dollar And Yen Nasdaq - Global Markets 10:19

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Exchange Rates Graph (Swiss Franc, American Dollar)
Currency Exchange Rate Graph for Swiss Franc vs American Dollar ... 120 days: latest (Aug 19) 0.915164: lowest (Aug 15) 0.912409: highest (Mar 17) 1.0142

 

Swiss Franc



 
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