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100 Francs
| Issuer | Banca della Svizzera Italiana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1883 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1861-1906) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 100 LA BANCA 100 DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA IN LUGANO CINQUANTA CINQUANTA FRANCHI SVIZZERI CENTO Lugano, il 1 Aprile 1883 IL CASSIERE IL PRESIDENTE IL DIRETTORE American Bank Note Co New York |
| Reverse description | Green intaglio-printed reverse with a bold guilloche underprint incorporating repeated '100' numerals across the field. The bank name 'BANCA DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA' is printed across the upper portion, flanked by large numeral '100' panels at each corner. The overall design relies on intricate lathe-work patterns and repeated denomination numerals as the primary decorative and security elements, with the printer's imprint appearing at the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
The Banca della Svizzera Italiana, based in Lugano, was one of several cantonal and private banks operating in Ticino during the final years of Switzerland's free banking period. The Federal Banking Note Act of 1881 had already set the clock running on private issuers — this note was printed while the institution still had the legal right to circulate its own paper, but that window was closing fast. The Swiss National Bank, established in 1907, ultimately absorbed what remained of the private note-issuing system.
The American Bank Note Company commission is worth noting. Swiss private banks of this period frequently turned to ABNC for prestige and anti-counterfeiting credibility — their intaglio work was considered among the finest available anywhere.