Catalog
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| Issuer | Swissmint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A front-facing portrait bust of Albert Einstein occupies the centre of the field, rendered in fine relief against a patterned background incorporating a large stylized letter E. Einstein is depicted with his characteristic dishevelled hair and informal attire. The legend ALBERT EINSTEIN is inscribed below the portrait. The overall composition is bold and modernist in style, characteristic of Swiss commemorative coinage of the period. |
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| Mintage | 1979 - - 900,000 1979 - Proof - 35,000 |
| Additional information |
Switzerland issued this coin the year of Einstein's centennial, though the choice carries a mild irony: Einstein renounced his Swiss citizenship in 1896 and didn't reacquire it until 1901, spent most of his productive years in Germany and the United States, and died an American. Bern claimed him anyway.
The Swiss 5-franc commemorative series of this period was struck for collectors rather than circulation, with mintages carefully controlled by Swissmint.