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50 Franken / Francs / Franchi
| Issuer | Schweizerische Nationalbank / Banque Nationale Suisse / Banca Nazionale Svizzera / Banca Naziunala Svizra |
|---|---|
| Year | 2002-2012 |
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| Designer(s) | Jörg Zintzmeyer |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a large intaglio portrait of Sophie Taeuber-Arp in the lower centre, rendered in green tones against a complex guilloche underprint. The large numeral '50' appears in the upper left, with vertical inscriptions 'Fünfzig Franken' and 'Tschuncanta Francs' along the right margin. The bank name 'SCHWEIZERISCHE NATIONALBANK / BANCA NAZIUNALA SVIZRA' is printed vertically at the lower right, accompanied by a small vignette of Taeuber-Arp in an earlier photographic likeness at the upper left and coloured security panel elements. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in green and blue tones, centred on an abstract composition of interlocking circles and ellipses rendered in intaglio, referencing the artistic work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp. The large numeral '50' appears at upper left and right, with 'Cinquanta Francs / Cinquanta Franchi' inscribed vertically along the right margin. The issuer names 'BANQUE NATIONALE SUISSE / BANCA NAZIONALE SVIZZERA' are printed along the lower right, and two signature lines with their titles appear at the top of the note. |
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| Comments |
The eighth series of Swiss banknotes — of which this 50 Franken is part — was introduced on a rolling schedule beginning in 1995, with individual denominations phased in over nearly a decade. Zintzmeyer's design scheme organized the entire series around cultural and artistic themes rather than historical portraits, a sharp departure from Swiss practice at the time and one that drew considerable public debate before issue.
Orell Füssli in Zurich has printed Swiss notes continuously since the nineteenth century, making it one of the longest-running national printer relationships in European banking history. The security package on this series was considered among the more technically rigorous of its generation, incorporating optically variable ink before it became routine on European issues.