The currency has existed for 175 years
Money
Happy Birthday, dear Franconia: The Swiss currency has been around for 175 years
Almost instead of the Franconia in Switzerland, the guilders would have been introduced. Exactly 175 years ago, the parliament opted for the franc. The Federal President also congratulates the jubilee.
The standing Helvetia adorns several coins in Switzerland.
Since then, a lot has changed in this world. But the franc is still available. And it still consists of 100 centimes.
All the lira, the marks and even the Franc to which the Franks was based have now disappeared. Dissolved in the euro. The franc remains the franc. In addition to the weather forecast, the current Franconian finding is the only constant in the radion news. No matter how hot the world situation is, in the end there is still the exchange rate – « and now the weather ».
From « stable » to « safe port »
« The creation of the Swiss franc in 1850 was an important element of the standardization of the Swiss economic area and thus a prerequisite for successful economic development in Switzerland, » says Martin Schlegel. He is President of the Directorate of the Swiss National Bank and thus something like the top keeper of the Swiss franc. It is a rather sober congratulations on its most important instrument.
When there is talk of the franc these days, it usually has an attribute. He is « strong », « stable », « a safe port », optionally « or » undervalued « , and in many cases it is also simply » under pressure « .
So here the somewhat concerned question: How is the Franconia?
In terms of currency, it is currently in a “strong” phase. The value increases. This is gratifying for Swiss people who travel abroad and at a discount shopping. It is less gratifying for tourists who come to Switzerland and for the export industry.
But the franc is more than just the « currency ». He is also the « Zahni » and the « five fliber ». All the Batzeli in the coin compartment of the wallet and in the Sparsäuli in the children’s rooms. The cash, the coins and grades of the franc are not « strong », but rather « under pressure ».
Digital payment services are increasingly displacing this. Observation at lunch in Bern: of fifteen people only one person pays cash. Otherwise: Twint, Apple Pay and credit card. The grading in Switzerland has declined since 2022. In 2024, banknotes worth around CHF 73 billion were issued. Three years earlier, there were 88 billion.
A two -franker from 1850.
