There are two different types of Swiss 20 franc coins. The first type with a laureate head of Liberty, wearing a coronet bearing the word “LIBERTAS”, with the inscription “CONFEDERATIO HELVETICA”. The reverse shows a 5 pointed star above the red cross of Switzerland on a simple shield within a wreath. The inscription at either side of the shield 20 FR, with the date below. The letter B, the mintmark for Bern, appears below the wreath. This type was issued form 1886 to 1896 inclusive.
The second type known as Vreneli or sometimes Helvetia and commonly known as Swiss 20 Francs is undoubtedly one of the world’s most dignified and classically designed Swiss gold coins. The obverse of the Swiss Helvetia depicts “Vreneli,” the charming “Swiss Miss” of folk lore, wearing flowers and facing left, framed against the majestic Alps. The reverse has an image of the traditional Swiss arms, featuring the famous Swiss cross over oak leaves tied with ribbons and shows the face value of 20 FR and the date

The name “Helvetia” dates back to Roman times when it was the term for the original inhabitants of what is now Switzerland. In fact, the country for a time was named the Helvetian Republic during Napoleon’s rule over the region. Switzerland’s central location, privacy laws, and political stability have helped make it one of the world’s most important financial centers. Swiss currency has never been devalued. Swiss gold coins, like these Helvetias, are cherished worldwide for their fine gold content and excellent minting.

Because of their wide and constant availability, Helvetias trade remarkably close to their intrinsic gold value. You should never pay a high premium (price over gold value) for Helvetias in today’s market.

Maurice Hall

Tags: Gold coins, History, Investment

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 5:39 pm and is filed under Gold coins, Investment, Money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.