10 Rappen Libertas, copper-nickel

The 10 Rappen is the longest-continuously-struck coin type in Swiss history, with the design frozen in place since 1879 by deliberate political choice rather than inertia — the Swiss federal authorities repeatedly declined to modernize it, viewing consistency as a form of institutional credibility. The cupronickel alloy, adopted from the outset, predated its widespread European use and was chosen specifically to resist the coin-clipping and sweating endemic to the preceding billon issues.

Wartime nickel shortages during both World Wars forced no composition change, a logistical achievement most neighboring states could not match.