20 Francs 3rd series, reserve banknote

The SNB's reserve series of the 1910s and 1920s were printed well in advance of intended issue dates and held in storage — a deliberate buffer against monetary disruption. This 20 Franc note was part of that precautionary stockpile, meaning many examples never saw active circulation at all, printed and vaulted rather than handled.

Schirnböck was a Viennese engraver of considerable reputation, and his involvement here reflects the cross-border professional networks Swiss printing houses maintained even in the years immediately following the First World War.