Catalog
5 Francs 2nd series
| Issuer | Swiss National Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1913-1953 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 125 × 70 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | 5 5 SCHWEIZERISCHE NATIONALBANK BANCA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA BANQUE NATIONALE SUISSE 5 5 |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | the Swiss cross within a decorative pattern, visible when held to light. |
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| Comments |
This series ran for forty years under a single plate design, surviving two world wars, the Depression, and Switzerland's September 1936 devaluation — the first time the Swiss franc had been officially devalued since the National Bank's founding. The catalog date of 25.09.1936 for the Schaller/Blumer signatures is incorrect; confirmed issue dates place those notes at 22.10.1936, after the emergency Federal Council decree of 27 September had formally fixed the new gold parity.
The sheer number of signature combinations — over forty documented — reflects routine personnel rotation among the SNB's president, vice-president, and cashier positions rather than distinct emissions. Collectors chasing a complete signature run face a genuinely long hunt, as several of the earlier date/signature pairings survive in small quantities.
Demonetized in 1958 following introduction of the third series.