Switzerland 50 Francs

The Swiss franc is the official currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The international official currency symbol; CHF.  Before 1798, over 860 different currencies circulated in various denominations and monetary systems in Switzerland. The majority of these coins originated from the French livre tournois or the southern German gulden of the 17th century. The new Swiss currencies emerged in the 18th century after the Swiss cantons did not keep up with the depreciation rate that occurred in France and Germany. The Helvetic Republic (a sister republic of France during the French Revolutionary Wars) introduced the franc in 1798, which was minted until 1803; this issue served as a model for the coins of several cantons during the Mediation period (1803-1814). Despite the arrival of the first Swiss franc, the southern German kronenthaler became the most popular currency in the nineteenth century. To address this issue, the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848 stipulated that the federal government would be the sole body entitled to issue currency in the country.

The first Federal Monetary Law, passed in 1850, established the franc as the monetary unit of Switzerland two years later. In 1907, The Swiss National Bank assumed responsibility for issuing banknotes from the cantons and individual banks and introduced notes in denominations of 50, 100, 500, and 1000 francs, followed by 20 francs in 1911 and 5 francs in 1913. The Federal Treasury issued notes in denominations of 5, 10, and 20 francs in 1914. These notes were made available in three separate languages: French, German, and Italian. That year, the State Loan Bank also printed 25 franc notes. The national bank stopped issuing 5 franc notes in 1952 but launched 10 franc notes in 1955. The 200-franc note was launched in 1996, while the 500-franc note was phased out. The Swiss National Bank has created eight series of banknotes. In April 2021, the Swiss National Bank announced the eighth series was replaced by the ninth series launched between 2016 and 2019. In May 2021, the banknotes lost their status as legal tender and are no longer valid for payments.

The 50 Swiss franc note front design features the portrait of Sophie Henriette Gertrud Taeuber-Arp (1889-1943), was a Swiss artist who excelled in painting, sculpture, textile design, industrial design, architecture, and dance.

The reverse of the note illustrates a representation of the abstract work of Taeuber-Arp; Tête Dada a wood sculpture made in 1920. The lettering of the note is presented in the German, French, and Italian languages. This note is part of the 1994 – 2012 series, and its color is deep olive-green and purple on a multicolor underprint.

Text: 50 Sophie Taeuber-Arp 1889-1943 50 Banknoten sind strafrechtlich geschützt. Las bancnotas èn protegias dal dregt penal. Fünfzig Franken Tschuncanta Francs SCHWEIZERISCHE NATIONALBANK BANCA NAZIUNALA SVIZRA, 0 Le président du Conseil Un membre de la Diréction générale 50 Les billets de banques sont protégés par le droit pénal. Le banconote sono protette dal diritto penale. Cinquante Francs Cinquanta Franchi BANQUE NATIONALE SUISSE BANCA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA