TCV Roundtable Blog

100 Greatest Modern World Coins Series: Switzerland 1925-B Gold 100 Francs, Specimen

While we often talk instability, secession, or the collapse of a government or reign in this blog series, the simplicity of the next coin and its background is a welcome breath of fresh air. Authors of Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Modern World Coins, Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, have us look at a rarity in which the design and strike are at the forefront regardless of its inability to meet circulation guidelines. Let us get into more detail.

#30 – Switzerland 1925-B Gold 100 Francs, Specimen

In 1925, after Switzerland introduced into circulation a 100-franc gold coin, the Swiss National Bank was unable to distribute the entire 5,000 mintage. As a result, around 1,200 coins melted down. Despite its fall before its rise, the coin is held to high esteem by collectors due in large part to its design. Used on smaller denominations since 1897, engraver Fritz Ulisse Landry’s...read more