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1 Rappen Wheat spike
| Issuer | Swiss Confederation |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948-2006 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.5 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The large numeral '1' dominates the central field, flanked on the left by a detailed spike of wheat with a single leaf extending diagonally, and on the right by the tip of a second leaf curving inward. The mint mark 'B' for Bern appears in the lower field beneath the numeral. The design is bold and uncluttered, with the denomination rendered in high relief against a plain background. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain. |
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| Additional information |
Switzerland retained the 1 Rappen longer than almost any comparable denomination in Western Europe, not out of monetary necessity but because removing it required a federal council decision and periodic public debate that kept getting deferred. By the 1990s the coin cost more to produce than its face value, a fact the Swiss National Bank acknowledged openly for years before the piece was finally demonetized in 2007. It had not meaningfully participated in daily commerce for decades before that.
The bronze alloy used throughout this run was consistent with pre-war composition standards — no wartime substitutions were ever made to the 1 Rappen, unlike the larger denominations that briefly shifted materials in the 1940s.