1000 Francs 4th series, reserve banknote

The fourth series was held in reserve from the outset — the Swiss National Bank printed it as a contingency against wartime destruction or seizure of circulating notes, a policy developed from Switzerland's neutral but physically vulnerable position during the Second World War. This series never entered public circulation; the notes were stored, periodically inspected, and eventually demonetized without most examples ever passing through a single hand.

Hans Erni, a prominent Swiss artist with well-documented left-leaning politics, was later considered a controversial choice in retrospect, though no formal objection prevented the commission. The engraving split between Hohmann on the obverse and the Soviet-trained Nikitin on the reverse is an unusual pairing for a Swiss issue of this period.