20 Franken / Francs / Franchi

The eighth series of Swiss National Bank notes was commissioned in the late 1970s but took nearly two decades to reach circulation — the 20 Franken finally entered use in 1996, with the 2000–2014 date range on this example reflecting the extended print run rather than any reissue. Switzerland kept the seventh series valid in parallel for years, running two series simultaneously, which was deliberate policy rather than administrative delay.

Orell Füssli has printed Swiss banknotes since the nineteenth century and remains one of the few security printers still vertically integrated with the issuing authority's home country. Zintzmeyer's design scheme for the eighth series was thematic by denomination — each note assigned to a different artistic movement.