Catalog
50 Francs
| Issuer | Zürcher Kantonalbank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1874-1878 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Green-tinted note with a fine guilloche underprint covering the entire field. Two oval intaglio portrait vignettes flank the central text area, each enclosing a classical female bust in profile. The bank title 'Die Zürcher Kantonalbank' appears in a curved banner above the large Gothic-script denomination 'Fünfzig Franken.' A central arms vignette with the Swiss cross is positioned at the top centre, flanked by ornate border work. The date 'Zürich, den 1. Januar 1874' is printed below the denomination, with three manuscript signature lines for the Director, President, and Cashier. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is laid out with a guilloche-patterned green underprint and carries the bilingual bank title and denomination in French. The numeral '50' appears in each upper corner, with additional typeset text arranged centrally. A serial number reference '500' appears at lower right, consistent with the note's series designation. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Zürcher Kantonalbank was established in 1870, making this one of its earliest note issues — printed by Giesecke & Devrient in Leipzig during a period when Swiss cantonal banks still dominated domestic currency issuance before the Confederation moved to centralize that authority. The Swiss National Bank wouldn't absorb that function until 1907, so notes like this circulated in genuine competition with those of other cantonal institutions.
G&D's involvement is unsurprising; by the 1870s the Leipzig firm had already built its reputation across German-speaking Europe as the prestige printer for serious banking paper. The relatively long issue window — four years — suggests these were printed in batches and released incrementally rather than as a single run.