Catalog
50 Francs 5th series, type 2
| Issuer | Swiss National Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1961-1974 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Harold J. Bard |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 50 Schweizerische Nationalbank Banque Nationale Suisse Banca Nazionale Svizzera 50 Fünfzig Franken Cinquante Francs Cinquante Franchi Bern und Zürich, den 5. Januar 1970 50 Der Präsident des Bankrates: Ein Mitglied des Direktoriums: Der Hauptkassier: 50 PIERRE GAUCHAT PINXIT DE LA RUE LONDON FECIT |
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| Reverse lettering | Schweizerische Nationalbank Banque Nationale Suisse Banca Nazionale Svizzera 50 |
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| Comments |
The fifth series was a long time coming — the SNB commissioned designs in the 1940s but the series didn't enter circulation until 1956, with this 50-franc type following in 1961. Pierre Gauchat, the Zurich-based graphic designer responsible for the artistic direction of the series, died in 1952 and never saw any of it circulate. Harold Bard at De La Rue handled the engraving, translating Gauchat's designs into intaglio work printed in London throughout the entire run.
The sheer volume of signature combinations — over forty across thirteen print dates — reflects the SNB's practice of issuing notes against multiple authorized signatory panels simultaneously rather than reprinting as personnel changed. Brenno Galli held the president's position across the full 1961–1974 span, an unusually long tenure that gives this series a peculiar consistency at the top line.