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20 Francs Pilatus Railway
| Issuer | Swissmint |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
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| Value | 20 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Against a dark matte field, the Swiss Federal Cross is prominently displayed at centre, with the denomination numeral '20' and currency abbreviation 'FR' occupying the lower field, the mint mark 'B' appearing immediately above 'FR'. The circular legend 'CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA' runs along the periphery from lower left to lower right, with the date '2011' incorporated into the right portion of the legend. The design is rendered in a bold, modern typographic style with strong contrast between the polished legends and the granulated field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Pilatus railway, which opened in 1889, remains the steepest rack railway in the world, with gradients reaching 48 percent on the approach to the summit. Its original locomotives burned coal and had to be purpose-built with boilers mounted at a severe angle simply to keep water covering the firebox on the climb. Swissmint's 2011 commemorative marks the line's continued operation under the Locher rack system — a design unique to this route, using horizontal rack teeth engaged from both sides rather than the more common vertical Abt or Riggenbach arrangements.