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50 Francs
| Issuer | Zürcher Kantonalbank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1888-1907 |
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| Currency | Franc (1837-1907) |
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| Obverse description | At left, a full-length vignette of Helvetia standing in three-quarter profile facing right, leaning against a shield bearing the Swiss coat of arms, holding a sword and wearing a diadem. At right, a putto supports a rectangular cartouche containing the denomination numeral. Engraved in intaglio with fine line work throughout. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 50 DIE ZÜRCHER KANTONALBANK zahlt dem Überbringer, bei Sicht, FÜNFZIG FRANKEN in gesetzlicher Barschaft. ZÜRICH 1 Juni 1897. DER DIREKTOR : DER BANKPRÄSIDENT : DER KASSIER : BRADBURY, WILKINSON & CO. LONDRES. CINQUANTA FRANCHI • FUNFZIG FRANKEN • CINQUANTE FRANCS |
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| Comments |
The Zürcher Kantonalbank was established in 1870 as a state-guaranteed cantonal institution, and its early note issues reflect the fragmented Swiss monetary system that persisted until the Swiss National Bank's founding in 1907 effectively ended private and cantonal note issuance. This 50 Francs belongs to that transitional period — a canton still exercising its right to issue currency, knowing that right was under political pressure.
Bradbury Wilkinson handled the printing from their London works, a common arrangement for Swiss cantonal banks seeking security printing expertise unavailable domestically. The design credits to Joseph Storck and Albert Walch are worth noting: Storck was a Vienna-based architectural painter and professor, an unusual choice whose involvement likely reflects the cosmopolitan sourcing of artistic talent by Bradbury Wilkinson for prestige commissions.