Catalog
100 Franchi
| Issuer | Banca della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano |
|---|---|
| Year | 1877 |
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| Value | 100 Franchi |
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| Obverse description | Green and brown intaglio-printed note with a central vignette of a seated female allegory of Helvetia resting against the Swiss coat of arms, flanked by the large numeral '100' on either side within ornate guilloche panels. To the left, a heraldic shield vignette; to the right, a second allegorical female figure seated beside a spinning wheel. The bank title 'DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA' arches across the upper field in bold letterpress, with 'BANCA' at the top center and the denomination inscription 'FRANCHI SVIZZERI CENTO' in the lower central area above the place and date line reading 'Lugano.' |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCA DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA FRANCHI SVIZZERI CENTO Lugano |
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| Comments |
Banca della Svizzera Italiana was one of several Ticino cantonal banks granted note-issuing rights under the Swiss Federal Banking Act of 1875, which attempted to regulate — without yet centralizing — the chaotic patchwork of Swiss private note circulation. The choice of the American Bank Note Company, then at the height of its reputation for security printing, was deliberate: Swiss private issuers in the 1870s competed partly on the perceived inimitability of their notes, and ABNC's engraved work was considered a credible deterrent against counterfeiting.
BSI lost its right to issue notes when the Swiss National Bank was established in 1907 and assumed the monopoly on circulation. This series had a short window of legitimate use.